Visions
by Mujitsu
Summary: ON INDEFINITE HIATUS. SessKagome. Present AU. Rated for content, and adult situations of which will be posted on other appropriate sites on authors profile. One unique miko gifted with unusual visions.
1. Threat

Blanket Disclaimer for the entire story: I do not own Inuyasha. All characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi, and all rights to them belong to her. I do however, own the plot for this story.

Summary: Sess/Kagome. Present AU. Rated for language, content, and adult situations (of which will be posted on other appropriate sites on authors profile.) One unique miko gifted with unusual visions. One powerful TaiYoukai, chosen against his will to be her Protector, her Chosen One. The two must come together to stop a new threat that will try to take away everything they've found in each other.

Visions

Chapter One

Threat

There was no time to scream as the fear clawing up her throat choked off any sound she might have made. She could just barely hear her gasping breath and the faint sound of sinister laughter echoing through the darkness over the rapid pounding of her heart.

Something was stalking her.

Something, someone, far more advanced than anything she had ever dealt with before. It frankly scared the living shit out of her.

She knew where she was. She knew that, physically, she was safe. Safe, save for the pounding headache and lingering nausea she was sure to face when she woke up.

Kagome Higurashi was having another vision.

She had been having them for the past twelve years, ever since she was ten. People had thought her an abomination, scared of the power she possessed. But it wasn't power; power she already had, being one of the youngest High Mikos in history. No, the visions were a bitter curse. Her visions were not what the normal mikos experienced, so unlike the vague dreamlike quality that allowed a miko to see a foretelling of future events. Kagome was unique.

She was cursing that uniqueness as she felt another shudder tremble through her body. Why did everything have to feel so damn _real_ when she was having a vision? She could feel the icy chill of the darkness, smell the tangy, rotting stench of someone's dinner decaying in the dumpsters of what she was sure was a deserted alley. She winced as a cat howled in the night, the sound particularly loud to her ears in the now suffocating silence. She was on her knees, cold water from a puddle soaking through her nicely pressed khaki pants.

_Somebody is rich,_ she noticed distantly as she looked down at her wrist and saw a watch made from one of the finer jewelers in Tokyo. She noticed that this time she had a slightly muscular frame, and deduced that she was a male this time, her mind working on the details so she could use them later even though the clawing of her fear, the man's fear was growing stronger. It was also in this way that Kagome was unique. When other mikos had visions, they were like spirits standing on the outside looking in, observing the events happening from a third person view.

Kagome had no such luxury.

Because Kagome's visions in themselves were not normal, neither was the way she experienced them. Apparently whatever was stalking her, or perhaps it would be better to say the man who's body she was currently inhabiting and whose emotions she was currently feeling, was tired of waiting for its prey to try and run away. Kagome tried to block out the panic that she was feeling due to the fact of her temporary possession, but it was impossible. She felt everything the man did, moved the way he did, and reacted the way he did without any conscious on her part. She had no control over anything in her visions, she just had to watch. And feel.

That was the worst part. And all because of that damn uniqueness, the curse she was gifted with. Kagome's visions never had happy endings, and she could not just store it away in the box. Her normalcy was ripped away from her with her first vision. She was told that the neighbors could hear her screaming on that night.

Because in every vision, Kagome died.

Kagome's fate was to watch, to feel, as others died, to witness their last moments on Earth before they were ripped away from it. And every time, it was a violent end.

She braced herself mentally as the body she inhabited suddenly sprung into action, trying to run away from the unknown predator. She felt a change in the presence pursuing her, one of wicked amusement and spiking bloodlust. She knew this was going to end painfully for her.

Seconds later she was proven right as she saw a clawed hand rake across the belly of the man, of _her_. The man cried out in pain, and so did she. She felt the warm wetness of blood sliding down the nice khaki's the man had worn as she fell to the ground, landing with a hard thud. The man was in a state of shock now, staring at the grimy bricks of the alleyway as whatever had maimed him began on his back. However, the pain was still there, and every rip, every bite, every bit of flesh torn resulted in her mental cry of agony.

Such was her curse.

She saw her vision waver in front of her, and knew that it was almost over. The man was almost dead, and then she'd be free. But then, that would only be the beginning. Before her last vestiges of consciousness left her, she saw the measured tread of someone walking towards her and the beast that was still feasting on her flesh.

_Expensive, polished shoes_, she noted, and shivered as his aura brushed the area. The beast wasn't the true source of evil. He was just a lowly minion, with barely the mental capacity to set a trap. No, it was this new arrival that had set fear into Kagome's heart from the beginning. But she could not glimpse his face, or even lift her eyes from his feet, and she damned her curse once more.

The body she was in gave a gurgle as the last shreds of life were torn away from him.

Vision dimming, she heard the voice of the newcomer; silky, smooth, and altogether dangerous slide over her consciousness.

"Feast well my friend. We hunt my dinner next."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"Fuck, Sesshoumaru, how many does this make in a month?" Inuyasha asked, holding a hand to his nose, trying to block out the disgustingly familiar scent of human death. "If we don't stop this soon, the humans will be in a panic." He didn't expect Sesshoumaru to answer him, knowing that the TaiYoukai was already aware of the growing media investigating the rise of these human killings. But as he glanced towards his half-brother, he could practically _see_ the waves of rage radiating off of Sesshoumaru, even though the older demon kept his face a perfect mask of stoic perfection. Inuyasha snorted to himself at the thought. Just under that mass was a seething beast, just tugging at the chain of the Inu demon's control.

"Sesshoumaru-sama?" a woman dressed in black with her hair up in a high ponytail strode to where Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha were standing, her eyes spitting with annoyance. "There's no obvious trail leading away from this site. Bastard covered his tracks completely. Kouga couldn't sense anything either."

"Jeez, Sango, I thought you and wolf-shit specialized in tracking and you can't even get one single clue?" Inuyasha broke in with disgust. He watched the demon slayer straighten her back, and his ears pinned to his head as he realized he was getting himself into trouble.

"If you don't think that we're all a little frustrated by whoever is targeting these humans, you better get it into your thick head, Inuyasha, that this is not something we've ever dealt with before," she said in a slow, tight voice, addressing him as if he were a five year old.

"Tch, I know that, woman, you don't need to point it out," Inuyasha fired back. "This is eighth human this month, fifteen in total since the killings began, and so far guess how much evidence we have? Nothing! Not one measly little footprint or scent to go on!"

"Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru's deep voice spoke up for the first time, the coldness of it causing everyone to stand at attention. "This is getting us nowhere. If you have something useful to contribute, by all means, but if not, keep your mouth shut."

Inuyasha bristled at his half-brother's high and mighty attitude, but didn't really feel like challenging him right now. These were Sesshoumaru's lands, no matter how much the government tried to claim it was theirs. Sesshoumaru just let them think that so he would gain a little peace. However, since these were his lands, and some unknown demon was murdering innocent humans right under the Taiyoukai's nose, his territorial instincts had to be going into overdrive.

"Fine," Inuyasha huffed, smart enough to back down for now. "We need to regroup anyway at headquarters. The police are jumping down our throats on this one. They want to know when this rogue demon will be caught."

"Those insignificant little pests have no right to demand anything," Sango exclaimed heatedly. "They deal with the human who prey on the innocent and we hunt the demons. That's how it's always been. They should know not to doubt Sesshoumaru."

"They will hear of my displeasure," Sesshoumaru said, his voice still infuriatingly calm, but a wicked glint in his amber eyes that make Sango grin mentally. Poor people.

"In the meantime," he continued smoothly, "It's time to regroup and meet back at headquarters. I will join as soon as I deal with the police."

"Miroku is coming to town today," Inuyasha stated bluntly.

"I care not about humans who are idiotic enough to befriend you, half-breed," Sesshoumaru replied, already beginning to walk back to his car.

"He's a holy man, asshole," Inuyasha shot back, baring his fangs at the insult. "If you get over that damn pride of yours, maybe you'll realize that he could be a help to us. At this point, I'm willing to try anything."

He waited in silence as he stared at the broad back of his half-brother. Oh, it would chafe on the full-demon, the hanyou realized this well enough and it gave him a sadistic glee to know that Sesshoumaru would have to resort to using outside means to curb the threat to his territory. Protection of his land and people was of top priority, even if the Taiyoukai hadn't seen humans as worth protecting until two centuries ago. However, his instincts would demand justice and prod him to exterminate this new threat as soon as possible before more lives were lost.

"It might be a good idea," Sango said softly. "It couldn't hurt to at least try."

The only answer the two got was the retreating back of Sesshoumaru, but it was enough. All that mattered was that he hadn't forbade it.

Sango and Inuyasha exchanged identical grins before they went to go collect the rest of the team. The day was looking better already.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"Kagome are you _sure_ you're okay?"

Kagome sighed, resisting the urge to rub the nape of her neck, where a vicious headache was throbbing at the base of her skull. "For the last time, Miroku, I'm fine. It's not like it hasn't happened before. I'm just sorry that you were unfortunate enough to witness it last night."

"Don't," the monk said in a surprisingly hard voice. "For God's sake, don't apologize for that."

She watched, dumbfounded, while he got up to restlessly pace the small hotel room she was currently housed in. "Miroku?"

"Kagome," he said, and then dropping down on a knee in front of her and taking her hand, a rare serious demeanor surrounding him. "Kaede explained to me what your visions did to you last year." He ignored the stiffening of her body and continued on. "You can't keep this burden to yourself. Every time someone's malicious aura is around you and it spikes, you are caught in the crossfire. You only feel the claws of powerful demons and I can't imagine the torture that they put you through, every night."

"It's not every night," she protested. "Once a demon's aura hits the danger levels and I have a vision of them, I only see them when their aura spikes, and only then. I guess I just…stay with them until they are exterminated."

"Which you take upon yourself," Miroku said, his eyes flashing in anger. "How many more can you take down before you collapse?"

"I happen to be stronger than I look," Kagome bit back frostily, trying to snatch her hands away halfheartedly. "I don't have the title of High Miko for nothing!"

"I know that, and as a monk, I respect the fact that you are powerful, more powerful than me, but as your friend I worry for you!"

He watched her blue eyes soften minutely. "Thank you, Miroku, but you have to trust me when I say I can handle this. The pain is sometimes unbearable, yes, but only in that moment. Once the body I'm in dies, that's it. I'm back to normal. It's something I've had to learn how to do. I've built up a very high pain tolerance, so it's not that bad." She refrained from telling him about all the times she hadn't died immediately. Some demons liked to play with their prey, dragging out their death for their own enjoyment. She'd been tortured more times than she could count, but she'd already accepted her fate. But that's not to say she didn't take special pleasure in purifying them for their crimes once they'd been found. And Kagome always found what she was looking for.

"I want to take you out of the city," Miroku said suddenly, causing her eyes to harden once more in stubbornness. "I invited you with me for this visit so you could get out of the city you were in and take a break."

"Evil doesn't take a break, Miroku," Kagome said in a final voice. "You can't just lock it away in a closet until you're ready to deal with it again. It's everywhere. And now that I've made a connection with someone here, I'm not leaving until I catch him." '_Even if his power disturbs me…' _she thought.

"You don't have to catch them!" Miroku said, his voice tightening. "Why is it your responsibility? It's bad enough that you feel the pain of them killing you, but then you have to face them every time afterwards. Let someone else deal with it this time!"

"It's not someone else's burden," Kagome finally snapped, standing up and pacing around the room while Miroku took her place in the small chair she had been sitting in. "There is only one miko in every millennia that has the visions I have, and our purpose is to exterminate the demons whose aura and bloodlust have gone out of control. Kami was the one who saw me fit to carry the burden of them, and it's my responsibility to do my job. Why can't you understand that?"

"Because it causes you in pain," he said quietly, and she paused in her pacing. "The screams I heard coming from you last night were not of just terror, they were of excruciating pain. It was all I could do not to knock down your door and try to wake you up."

"You wouldn't have been able to do it," her voice said wearily. "My powers react to anyone who is interrupting the vision and freezes them. You would be stuck that way until I woke up and the vision was over." She went over to the bed and sat down on the edge, and watched as he joined her, his voice calm and sincere.

"I would have risked it to stop your pain. Kagome, you are one of the best friends I have, and one of the best mentors as a High Miko. I don't know why you were the one the Gods cursed with this, but isn't there a way to ease your pain? Even Kami should know that any human put under this stress will break eventually."

"Of course the Gods made a way to ease the miko's pain. They are not that cruel. But no miko has ever found what they needed." The Chosen One. "I'm not going to consider myself lucky enough to find it either. I will deal with the visions as I see fit, and right now, that means finding the bastard."

"We're in a different city now. You don't have your usual resources."

"No," she said, her smile lighting her face, but Miroku's dropped, knowing that look and glint in her eyes. "We'll just have to use your resources. Didn't you say that your friend Inuyasha was on the task force for exterminating demons? What better way for them to make another catch than to stop this demon? I'm sure they would be willing to cooperate."

"If only it were that easy. Inuyasha is not the head of the taskforce, however. His brother, well, half-brother, is."

"So?"

"Kagome, Inuyasha's brother is Sesshoumaru."

He felt her pause and smiled. Every miko has heard of Sesshoumaru, the last remaining TaiYoukai in existence. No other demon possessed his power, speed, cunning, and control. Perfect in every way, although Kagome had never had the pleasure of seeing the demon. "Sesshoumaru, huh? I don't see how that's going to be a problem. He would want to rid himself of the threat."

"Kagome, you don't understand. I know that you will insist on working closely on this case, but Sesshoumaru only works with a select few. Inuyasha is one of them, and there are a few others I haven't met yet. He will not appreciate your interference."

"He will if he wants to catch the demon. The visions aren't going to go away until we catch him, so the sooner you want them to go away, the sooner you'll ask Inuyasha to let us look into it and if they know anything."

Miroku looked at her in amused exasperation. "You are one tricky woman," he said, slinging an arm around her shoulders and squeezing affectionately. "All right, I'll ask them when I go today, although I don't know if it will do any good. You will stay here and rest," he ended sternly.

"Fine fine, but before you leave I have to tell you the details of the vision so you can see if Inuyasha knows if the victim has been found yet. I can describe what I saw to you," Kagome said, hugging him back. "You're the best!"

A lecherous grin came over his face as he realized his oppourtunity. A second later he was sprawled out on the floor, a goofy grin on his face, hearing Kagome yell, "Hentai!"

Some things never changed.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"Miroku, long time no see!"

"Inuyasha, it's good to see you too. Has life been keeping you out of trouble?" The two males exchanged a firm handshake, realizing that it had been five years since each had seen each other last. Both had been picked to work together to stop a hanyou, Naraku. It had been one of the toughest battles both had fought, the two of them coming close to death a few times. But in the end, they had beaten the hanyou and rid the world of his existence, and formed a lasting friendship over it. Miroku looked his friend over, realizing wryly that he had always been envious of a demons ability to never age, and while Inuyasha was a half demon, he still didn't look more than eighteen, even if he was over five hundred years old. He remembered that Sesshoumaru was centuries older than that and didn't look a day over twenty-three. It really was quite unfair.

"Keh, trouble finds me, not the other way around. But lately it's been getting worse."

"A new case?" Miroku asked, drawing his brows together. If Inuyasha and his team were already working on another case, Kagome's plan to have them work together might be destroyed.

"One of the worse," the hanyou sighed. He lifted his clawed hand to scratch behind his ears, the very picture of frustration. "That's kinda why I have to ask you something. Miroku, this bastard is leaving nothing behind for us to track, and we are at our wits end trying to get anything on this guy. He's killed fifteen humans so far, and will kill much more if we don't stop him. I've gained Sesshoumaru's permission to have you give us your input and opinion on this if you were willing." The hard tone in his voice suggested that Miroku better be willing. The young monk hid a laugh behind a cough at the tough persona the hanyou was trying to put on.

"Of course I'm willing to offer my meager expertise to help you. I don't know how much good it will do, but I'm willing to try."

"Good, we'll go by headquarters now and get started on this case. He doesn't say it, but I know Sesshoumaru is about ready to rip off heads over this case."

"A raging TaiYoukai is never a good thing. Where is he now?"

"At police headquarters dealing with the incompetent fuckers there. He'll meet us at our headquarters later."

Miroku winced. "I feel bad for the police right now."

Inuyasha grinned, a hit of fang glinting. "It's not anything that they don't deserve."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Sesshoumaru was fighting the instinct to just rip the humans to shreds. The feel of blood on his claws, the satisfaction of ripping flesh and the smell of his poison would bring him a vicious satisfaction right at this moment. Instead, he was staring stoically at the chief of the puny force they called the police, being lectured. Lectured! It was almost too much for his status as Alpha to take. But he let it continued, knowing that if he killed these humans, the government would gather every available resource together to take him down. Not to mention the Human/Demon Compromise reached three centuries ago that forbade any demon or human to kill each other. Right now he was wishing that law had never gone into effect. When the chief had paused in the middle of his lecture, Sesshoumaru let a little of his youki leak into the room, effectively silencing the man and making the others stand to attention. The feeling was not very pleasant, feeling as if there were a suffocating presence in the room, the smell of just raw _power_ stopping the humans in their tracks.

Sesshoumaru smiled a little in satisfaction and had the pleasure of seeing the humans pale. He withdrew his youki, and watched as the human tried to regain their breath. "Gentlemen," he began softly, his voice causing many backs to straighten in wariness. While Sesshoumaru was known to have the most control over his demonic instincts, there was only so far one could push an Inuyoukai and live. They were testing that control right now. "Even though I shouldn't have to explain myself to the likes of you, I'm willing to be generous so your human minds can comprehend. The demon that is attacking the humans will be caught and will be dealt the punishment according to his crimes. There will be no more media covering this case, blowing it out of proportion. Is that understood?" Many heads nodded vigorously. "Many of you are now taking granted my protection. Any more doubt in my abilities, and I will have no qualms whatsoever of letting these demons have free reign to this city and watch in amusement while you try to combat them. My pride as a TaiYoukai is the only reason why my services are being offered to your kind. Is that understood?" More nods. "Good," he said, turning around and walking away, only the swish of his knee length hair being the sound of his departure. With him, the sense of power, of demonic intention faded, letting many men breath easier.

One of the newer men, unaware of just how much Sesshoumaru was capable of demanded, "Why doesn't the government just kill the arrogant prick? He should have no right to talk to us like that." 

His chief looked at him sharply. "Fool, would you like to try being the one to take him down?"

No reply.

"That's what I thought."

Meanwhile Sesshoumaru was clenching and unclenching his claws, the only sign of his temper showing as he methodically calmed his temper. He wanted to tear into something, to ease this damnable rage inside of him, but he was not a TaiYoukai for nothing. He had tight control over his instincts, no matter how much they screamed at him. In the past, before he had gained his icy control, he let his instincts have free reign, rutting whatever bitch was willing and hot, showing affection for them by nuzzling and cuddling, challenging any fool who was unlucky enough to insult him (although that part he was still struggling with), and letting his temper get the best of him. Looking back, he realized how foolish that all was. Loss of control would get a demon killed faster than anything, and affection should only be reserved for the select few who deserved it, such as a mate and family. However, Sesshoumaru had no such mate, and probably would never find a mate worthy enough for him, so he contented himself on gaining power and more control as the centuries passed. And now those imbeciles doubted his ability to stop one measly little demon.

His temper drained completely away as his mind latched onto the new problem that this demon presented. There was no scent left behind, which was not so unusual as the more powerful demons were capable of masking their scent, but what was odder was that there was no trace of an aura left behind. At least none that he could detect, and that bothered him. There should have been something that he could go on, but there was nothing. He secretly hoped that the monk, Miroku, would be able to help with something, anything that would give them a clue as to where to go next.

Later, when he entered the sleek penthouse on one of the buildings Sesshoumaru own, which doubled as their headquarters, he could smell the monk already and nodded in approval. They were not wasting any time. He could smell that the rest of the team had gathered and was pleased. He opened the doors, and five sets of eyes turned to face him. Both the monk and Inuyasha were standing by the table, while Kouga, Sango, and Shippo were all sitting, listening to Inuyasha describe the cases to Miroku and bring him up to date.

"Sesshoumaru-sama," Miroku greeted.

"Monk," Sesshoumaru nodded, and took his seat at the head of the table, allowing Inuyasha to continue the discussion.

"When was the last killing?" Miroku asked, already brought up to date on the members of the team and the killings that had been going on.

"Last night," Sango said grimly, reaching into a folder and pulling out a few photographs to show the handsome monk who had come in to work on the case. Shaking those thoughts out of her head she showed him the grisly aftermath of the demon's latest victim.

Miroku froze as he saw the photographs, and Sesshoumaru's attention was caught, as well as everyone else's. "What's up, Miroku?" Inuyasha asked. "It's not like you haven't seen a dead body before."

"No, it's not that," Miroku said, his mind whirling. "I need to make a quick phone call." Whipping out his cell phone, he pushed the speed dial for Kagome. Everyone in the room was paying attention now at the phone conversation that unfolded. "Kagome, there's been a development in the case you're working on. Apparently Inuyasha's team has been working on it for the last few months….No, I'm looking at what you saw in your vision last night….Yes, I'm positive. Everything you described, right down to the watch and khaki pants and the wounds."

There were a few more generic remarks before Miroku resignedly gave directions to the headquarters to whomever was on the phone. Once he had turned the phone off, he faced a few confused faces.

"Miroku, what the hell was that all about?" Inuyasha was the first one to get to the point.

Miroku gave a sigh as he sat down at the table. "I'm afraid things have gotten a bit more complicated. You know of the High Miko's, right?"

Everyone nodded, knowing that those who have attained the status of a high miko were some of the most powerful women in the world.

"Kagome is the only High Miko in Japan, and she is a dear friend of mine. She joined me on this little trip to see you, but last night she had a vision. Last night, she saw this man being killed." He tapped the photograph of the grisly remains of the unfortunate soul. "She will have another vision the next time your little demon kills, and won't stop having them until he is caught. So, like it or not, she's one of your only leads. I was going to bring up this very case to you later, Inuyasha, but now I see that I don't have to. She wants to catch him just as much as you do."

"Why?" Inuyasha asked.

"Besides the fact that she has to see someone being killed?" Kouga replied sarcastically, gaining a growl.

"Kagome is…unique," Miroku said carefully, and all attention was once returned to him.

"Unique how?" Sesshoumaru asked before anyone. Miroku looked surprised at being asked, but tried to put Kagome's visions into words.

"Kagome is not an ordinary High Miko. She was blessed, or maybe better put as cursed, to experience everything the victim is feeling. Including the pain. In essence, she dies every time she has a vision."

"How horrible," Sango said, and Shippo nodded.

"It's very…hard on her," Miroku said, "But she's learned how to deal with it. She's exterminated every demon that has caused her visions, but now she's having them about your killer here. She one of the only people who could help you now. She should be here in a few minutes, since our hotel is right around the corner."

"I never said we would use her services," Sesshoumaru spoke up again, and Miroku gulped. Before he could reply, Inuyasha said, "You heard him yourself, Sesshoumaru. She may be the only one who could give us a clue."

"If she is a worthy enough miko, I will consider it," he said, knowing that if she was less than that, she would end up getting killed. And if she got killed, the monk would fall into despair, which would cause Inuyasha to be a pest for the rest of his life. Which was eternity. He felt the beginnings of another headache.

"I'm surprised you're hanging out with a High Miko, Miroku," Inuyasha smirked, changing the subject while they waited. "Usually you go for the young ones, but now you're stuck with an old biddy."

"Kagome reached the status of High Miko when she was sixteen, idiot," Miroku said, and even Sesshoumaru was shocked. Usually Mikos don't receive a high status until they are middle aged. This miko must be special indeed.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door, and it opened to reveal a woman.

Miroku stood up to greet her and introduce her.

"Everyone, meet Kagome."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

(A/N: I'm going to try and keep this short. Welcome to my new story. It's good to be writing Sess/Kag again. This story is going to be a little different than my others because this is strictly a "feel good" fic. Which means that I'm going to write it just how I want to write it, because it makes me feel good. So if that means that on the inside, Sesshoumaru is not as controlled as every one thinks he is, that's my right to do with my creative licence. Also, Rin is not going to be in this fic. I just don't want to make her fit anywhere right now. Of course, that could change as well. I love mysteries, so I'm trying to go off of that. Also, this fic is going to be a bit…lustier than my other ones. I enjoy reading a well written lemon every now and then just like other healthy women, and I want to try and work on my skills writing one. This is my experiment fic, and I hope you enjoy it. It is not for young eyes, so if you are under eighteen, don't really continue. It's the law because there will be sex in this story. I will post the lemon chapters on other sites that will be known in my profile and warn people on ff . net when there is a lemon in a chapter so if you want to read it, you can just go to it. Happy reading.

Until next time,

Mujitsu)


	2. The Chosen One

(Note: Sesshoumaru has both arms in this story, because I always find myself forgetting that he only has one. His fighting ability is never hampered by it, so I forget its not there. So for this story, to avoid any glaring mistakes I might make otherwise, I am letting him have both. Nyah. Remember, this is my feel-good fic, and him having both arms makes me feel good. Enjoy the chapter.)

Visions

Chapter Two

The Chosen One

Kagome twisted her fingers into the hem of her shirt as she stood outside the door of the headquarters. Grimacing, she realized what her actions were doing to her poor garment, and then quickly tried to smooth out the fabric into some semblance of decency. '_Screw it,'_ she thought. Who was she trying to impress anyway? She had taken on the mindset a long time ago that she didn't care what people thought of her. It would cause her only more heartache and misery in the long-run, especially every time someone found out what she was.

She'd heard it all when she was younger, the whispers behind her back. From everyone from the parents of the children who were her friends all the way up to the other mikos she trained with when she was older. When she gained her High Miko status at such a young age, the whispers grew until she just learned to ignore them. She knew that she was different. A freak, called by others. But as long as she caught the demons who preyed on the weak and innocent, she could deal with being a freak. Even if the visions one day tore her apart, as they had every other Miko in the past who were cursed as she was. She wasn't stupid, she had looked up everything about the Miko's who were "gifted" in the same way she one. Considering as there was only one woman of their kind who had these visions every millennium, it was a little hard to dig up information on the elusive mikos. Their fates were all the same, save one.

All lost their minds to the visions. Some held out longer than others, but in the end it was all the same. Inescapable insanity. Many mikos ended up taking their own lives, just so they wouldn't have to feel the experience of dying again, to escape the pain that came whenever a vision occurred. It was Kagome's deepest, darkest fear that she would too become a victim of the visions.

It was the one miko that gave her hope. The one miko that survived the visions, the one that found the only way to tolerate the madness they brought on. Kagome didn't know how she did it, didn't even know if she would be able to do it herself, but she still had to believe that the Gods didn't curse those women just to have only one woman find a way to deal with it all. In all that she'd read, two words had been her salvation: Chosen One. Whatever that was, she needed to find it, just like the first miko had so long ago.

It was that one woman that allowed Kagome to deal with her visions, and gave her the strength to battle the inhuman monsters that killed for pleasure. This demon was just one more demon to fight until the next one came along. Her hands clenched as she recalled the feelings of maliciousness in her vision, and knew that this one wouldn't go down without a fight. Which is why she now had to rely on a group of people she didn't even know. Even though she was the one who suggested asking for Inuyasha's help, she still didn't like it when other people found out exactly what she saw in her visions. Taking another deep breath, she put her hand on the handle, feeling the magic of a very powerful demon. She could tell immediately that the room was completely protected from scent, aura, and sound, but it was the magic that intrigued her. She had never felt anything like it before.

This week was just a bundle of firsts for her. With that wry thought in mind, she knocked with one hand while the hand on the handle twisted the knob, allowing her entry into the room.

She blinked as all eyes turned towards her, but was saved from saying anything when Miroku said, "Everyone, meet Kagome."

He pointed to a red-haired teenager on her right to start making introductions. "Kagome, this is Shippo. Inuyasha told me that he's one of the best con-artists in the city."

She looked at the young man, a demon from his aura, his appearance not any older than that of a fifteen year old teenager. His shocking red hair was held in a high ponytail and his sharp green eyes were clever and sharp, looking at her in curiosity.

"A little young, don't you think?" she whispered to Miroku in a slightly amused voice, noticing how the teenager bristled. With a sudden pop, she was blinking at a mirror image of herself.

"You're one to talk," Shippo said, doing a perfect imitation of her voice. "You don't look that much over twenty yourself."

"Shippo, be more polite," a woman sitting next to him said while smacking him lightly upside the head, watching as he popped back into his original form. "Don't take anything the little fox here says seriously. I'm Sango, a demon exterminator. It's nice to meet you, Kagome."

Kagome gave a little smile in return, liking the woman already. The woman looked only slightly older than her, and looked at her with such warm brown eyes Kagome couldn't help but think that, given the right circumstances, they could become good friends. What a demon exterminator was doing working exclusively with demons was beyond her, but to each her own. Well, that wasn't quite right, there was a hanyou in the room, but it was hard to concentrate when there was one aura that was almost overpowering her senses with its strength. It almost seemed like it was tugging on hers, forcing her to find the source quickly. Almost desperately. Her eyes quickly scanned the rest of the occupants, ignoring Miroku's rambling of some wolf named Kouga and his tracking abilities, and Inu…something…

Her breath almost left her body as her eyes locked on a pair of electric gold eyes, and she found herself trapped. She realized distantly that this man could only be Sesshoumaru, the Taiyoukai of these lands. She was shocked to find that her hands gave a quick tremble, and she forced them in front of her so she could grip them together, still not taking her eyes off of the imposing man. She saw his eyes narrow, and that broke the little spell she was under, allowing her eyes to escape his which only allowed her to view the face that those eyes belonged to. That was a mistake all its own because Kagome promptly stopped breathing. High cheekbones adorned with two magenta stripes on each side accentuated the aristocracy in his face, while the crescent moon in the middle of his forehead marked his demon heritage. Two more stripes on his eyelids should have made him appear feminine, but only added to the overall perfect masculinity of his face, if that was possible. His lips looked hard and firm, as if he didn't smile all that often, and she knew that inside his mouth there would most likely be a set of fangs. Much to her embarrassment, she felt a rush of heat fill her body. This type of reaction was not normal for her, and she was a bit alarmed at the unfamiliar immediate connection she had with the TaiYoukai.

She took her eyes off of his face, noticing that his jaw was clenched, and her eyes were drawn to the tendons of his neck that stood out for a second as the muscles shifted. She wanted to trace those muscles down to where they disappeared into the collar of his business suit. He practically exuded raw power held tightly by immaculate control, and a natural sensuality. Hastily, she set her eyes on the table where his hands rested. His fingers were long and tapered, and his hands looked big and strong, tipped with deadly claws. She shuddered inwardly, her mind immediately conjuring up a scene where those claws were running tantalizingly over her skin, and she desperately tried to bring her mind back into focus on what Miroku was saying.

When the door opened, something inside of Sesshoumaru went silent…waiting. It was almost as if he were hunting all over again, waiting in complete alertness for his prey to come into view.

Her scent wafted into the room first, delicate and sweet. The scent of moonflowers filled his nostrils, reminding him of sultry nights under starry skies. Heady. Undeniably female. He inhaled deeply, acutely disturbed by the fact that his insides were practically quivering. Sesshoumaru did NOT quiver, but his instincts were screaming at him, heat unfurling in his belly as he took another deep whiff of that intoxicating scent. His eyes became glued to the door, waiting for the owner of that scent to become visible, and his body tensed subtly in anticipation. A dainty foot strapped in delicate sandals appeared first, followed by the shapeliest leg he had ever had the privilege of setting eyes on.

A small voice in the back of his head told him that out of all the women he'd been with, there were those that certainly had a better pair of legs than this woman, but his mind could honestly not bring those women to mind at that precise moment. Still that same niggle in the back of his head warned him that this instant attraction was not befitting for a Taiyoukai, nor normal, unless it was for his mate…and that thought brought him up short.

In the next moment, however, all rational thought left his head as the woman fully came into view, dressed modestly in a knee length skirt and fitted blouse. To everyone else, she may have seemed pretty, if rather ordinary. To Sesshoumaru, she was perfect. Silky black hair fell down her back and framed a face blessed with high cheekbones, a pert nose, and a full, lush mouth. His eyes lingered helplessly there as he watched it lift into a nervous smile directed at the monk. He saw her eyes swing to the young kitsune, and he noted their color. Deep blue, with a hint of grey towards the middle, and vibrant despite the fact that there were circles under her eyes. He frowned inwardly when he noticed that she looked exhausted, and his eyes quickly ran over the rest of her as she spoke with the fox and demon slayer.

Hungrily, he let his gaze roam over pert breasts just begging to be kissed down to her flat tummy and gently flared hips that his clawed twitched to run over. She was very thin, more so than was healthy with a slight gaunt look that just confirmed in his mind that she hadn't been taking care of herself. A fierce sense of protectiveness rose up inside of him and the part of him that was still rational was bewildered at the effect she had on him.

He noticed the moment her attention shifted, as if she were aware his eyes were slowly devouring her. Her eyes met his, searching, and it seemed like everyone else disappeared. The muscles in his body clenched, reaching in the most basic way as her eyes locked to his. He felt as if he had been punched in the gut, and his eyes narrowed in reaction. Her gaze immediately fell away after that, and his jaw clenched in frustration and disappointment. The connection they had was lost, but his temper abated as he realized her eyes were running over him just has he had her, finally settling on his hands. The slow once over she had given him made his body hotter than anything he'd ever felt before, and he was faintly astonished with himself. The lust he felt coursing through his veins sluggishly was something he hadn't felt in hundreds of years, ever since he learned to master control over his emotions and body, but something about this miko was bringing every animalistic instinct and reaction to the surface. He wanted to growl as her attention focused once more on the monk.

"Kagome," Miroku started, leading her to an empty seat at the table where pictures were laid out. "Is this the man from your vision?"

Sesshoumaru watched with interest as her lips pulled into a slight frown, looking over the gruesome pictures. He could sense her distress from where he was sitting, and it made him uneasy and restless. He watched her hands lightly graze over her own stomach when she looked at the pictures of the bloody and torn man. He remembered what Miroku had explained about Kagome and her unique problem with her visions. She was probably remembering the pain that had gone along with this particular attack, and the thought of her suffering almost sent him into the red. Her soul was pure, he could feel it in her aura. Untainted and he could feel the amount of raw power she had in her. Delectable.

"It's him," he heard her say, her inner turmoil not reflecting in the smooth cadence of her voice. Her voice was very…soothing. Calm. It settled his raging blood and instead lit fires in other areas. Sesshoumaru was very confused, and he hated the feeling. Why was this small slip of a woman affecting him so? A part of him wanted to stop it, this unexplained attraction while the other part of him wanted to get as close to her as he possibly could, into her soul.

"I can help you catch him," the little miko of his interest continued on. "I know how he kills, what kind of person he picks as his target-"

"So do we," Inuyasha cut in. "No offense, but you've only been here one night while we've dealt with him for a few months. We probably know more than you do and we don't want to get you involved if we don't have to."

Sesshoumaru watched with interest as her eyes flashed with temper, and his heartbeat sped up minutely at the scent she emitted while angry. Delicious.

"Oh?" she said, her voice slightly scathing as she rounded on the hanyou. She fought not to blink as she faced a man with the same coloring as the demon she had just turned away from. The same silver hair and gold eyes, although the hanyou's were a little larger, and he had no distinctive marks on his face to represent his status. But he did have a pair of ears on this head that reminded her of a puppy, and she fought to keep her thoughts on the same track. "Do you know the sound of his voice? What kind of shoes he wears?" Inuyasha remained mute. "I thought not. But I know. I also know he has an accomplice."

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed, a bit of his rationale returning as he focused on the case. "How did you come to that conclusion?"

Kagome shuddered inwardly as the TaiYoukai spoke for the first time. His voice was smooth, very deep, and made something inside her tingle. She shook it off and sent him a smirk. "Being a High Miko has its advantages. My visions are not premonitions, they are reality."

Her smile disappeared as he smirked right back, and made her stomach drop. He looked downright dangerous when he let the corners of his mouth quirk up and one slim eyebrow rise. Hastily she looked away to the rest of the occupants of the room. She noticed the hanyou giving Sesshoumaru a weird look before his attention was focused back on her.

"Do you have any clues on the accomplice?"

Kagome shook her head. "Nothing solid. He's less calculating than the other one, more the follower than the leader. He's the one who killed this man last night." She tapped her finger on the photo again. "He has no weapon of choice, just his claws. He trapped the victim last night, using his own fear against him, and then stalked him. He liked to toy with him." Sesshoumaru watched as her eyes went hazy with some unknown memory and her voice became distant as she focused inward. "He had me trapped in the corner of the alleyway, knowing that there was nowhere I would be able to go. He had won, and I knew it, but I had to try something anyway. He felt amusement when I tried to run, and that's when he attacked. He gave me one straight slash across my stomach so that I was still alive when he started ripping into my back…he took his time, even though it wasn't methodical. He just wanted to see me suffer as much as he could before I died…"

"Kagome, that's enough," Miroku cut in sharply, and Kagome visibly jerked, her eyes focusing slowly once more. Immediately, a flush covered her cheeks and it was obvious she was embarrassed. She looked around for a moment at all of the dumbfounded and shocked eyes staring at her, and her embarrassment intensified. Sesshoumaru had to stop himself from digging his claws into the table.

Kagome cleared her throat. "Sorry about that. The victim was almost dead when our main killer walked up." Even though she used the word "victim" everyone could guess that she meant herself. It was her that was almost dead when the killer walked up. "There is a certain level of trust between the one who killed this victim and the main killer. He just walked right up when the other demon was deep into bloodlust, and nothing happened "The killer is on a different level than the one who killed this man last night. This one is cold, clever, smart, and his aura is unlike anything I've ever felt before. Not as strong as yours," she said, nodding her head in deference to Sesshoumaru but not meeting his eyes, not wanting to get lost again in the confusing connection she felt when she did. "But close to your power and more…." She trailed off, trying to come up with a suitable word.

"More?" Shippo prodded.

"Evil," she finished. "That is what he is. Evil."

"Do you know how he kills?" Sango asked. "What his methods are, what weapons he uses?"

Kagome shook her head. "I won't know that until I have another vision. With the way he's been escalating in his killings, which will probably be tonight or tomorrow sometime. Have the victims had noticeable differences in the way they were killed?"

"No," Kouga spoke up. "Pretty much all of them have been torn up like the victim last night."

"Then I definitely won't know how he kills until I feel it," she murmured more to herself than the room. "I'll let you know when I have another vision."

"No," Sesshoumaru spoke up, and everyone looked at him in surprise.

"No?" Kagome echoed.

"If this demon does something in your vision soon that might give us a clue to his whereabouts, we need it as soon as possible. That means you stay close to us so we can be ready to act at the appropriate time."

"So what, you're all going to stay at my hotel until I have a vision that gives us the information we need?" Kagome said sarcastically, finally gaining enough courage to square off with the TaiYoukai. She ignored the tingle up her back when his golden eyes focused on her and stiffened her spine. She thought she saw the trace of another smirk cross his lips, and indignation filled her. She'd just barely met the demon five minutes ago and he was presumptuous and arrogant enough to dare to tell her what to do? He certainly wasn't assessing her abilities correctly then if he thought she was willingly going to back down and be meek, especially when he was ordering her to do something that exposed her. She opened her mouth to give him a piece of her mind when Miroku broke in, trying to placate her temper before she did something stupid.

"Kagome, it's not such a bad idea. If you think about it, it makes sense. It will be much easier to catch him if we're all involved at the same time-"

"No, Miroku, it's not a good idea," she interrupted him, trying not to let the faint stirrings of panic show in her voice.

"Kagome, more people are going to die if we don't catch him as soon as possible," the priest said before she could make her argument, and his words hit her like a bucket of ice water. "I know this is difficult and awkward, but please bear with it for as long as you can."

"There are some spare rooms here," Sango offered gently. "We usually use them if we stay over at the office, but I'm sure they will be comfortable for all of us."

Kagome didn't even look at her, just continued staring hard at Miroku, who fought the urge to fidget. "Fine," she said finally, her voice terse. "I suppose I should go pack my things. It's almost sundown. I'll be back later tonight."

Stiffly, she walked out of the room, her head held high. Sesshoumaru watched her go, a feeling of disappointment filling him as soon as she left his sight. The little miko and her mysterious power over him disturbed him. Like something he'd heard about long ago but couldn't remember. He would have to do research on her type of mikos; maybe he would find an answer for his unexplainable reactions to her from that.

It wasn't until the door clicked closed that Miroku let out a harsh breath and pounded his fist on the table. Startled, all eyes looked to him, except for Sesshoumaru, who stared coolly at the violet eyed man.

"Miroku?" Inuyasha asked, concern actually evident in his voice for once. Usually his carefree friend didn't lose his cool like this. Miroku was always the one who broke the tension with a joke or an untimely grope. But even Inuyasha could practically see the waves of anger and self-loathing come off of the young man.

"Damn it," Miroku said, and Inuyasha's eyes widened. Miroku certainly never made it a habit to curse either. "I didn't want to have to make her do that."

"Do what?"

"Put herself on display. Kagome's visions are extreme, and she has extreme reactions to them because of that. She didn't want you all there to see her at her most vulnerable. But I used her own good nature against her, and now she feels like she has no choice." He sighed, closing his eyes. "It was the only way I could think of for her to finally let some of the responsibility go to someone else, instead of on her shoulders. This was supposed to be a vacation, a time for her to get away from her last case, and now she's right in the middle of another one."

"What happened on her last case?" Sango asked. She had liked the young miko, and felt sympathetic towards her, but Miroku was right. The sooner Kagome could find this killer the better, for everyone.

"Kagome was working on another demon serial killer case a few weeks ago. Somehow, it got leaked to the press that the police had a High Miko working to help capture the demon, and the killer found out who Kagome was. He ended up targeting her instead."

Sesshoumaru instantly went on alert as Kouga asked, "What happened?"

Miroku sighed again. "He came after Kagome one night, but he underestimated Kagome's powers. She is one of the most powerful High Mikos of all time and she was able to purify him. But it still shook her up. She has to feel the pain of the victims every time she has a vision, and then on top of that she was being targeted personally. It wears her out."

Sesshoumaru relaxed slightly when he heard that the demon that had been pursuing Kagome had been taken care of, but he didn't like the picture he got of Kagome's life. It sounded like the young miko had the world on her shoulders and no one to help carry the burden. She truly was cursed.

His curiosity re-sparked, he began striding towards the door.

"Oi, Sesshoumaru, where are you going?" Inuyasha called out. "It's almost night time."

The stoic Lord threw one word over his shoulder as he walked through the doors.

"Research."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Kagome fumed inwardly to herself on the way back to the headquarters after packing her things and heading out of the hotel. How dare Miroku guilt her into doing this? How dare she allow it herself. If the demon attacked tonight, she could already predict how the night would end. With every member of the new team, especially that one with the intense gold eyes, staring at her like she was some sort of freakshow. She closed her eyes briefly as she fought down the whispers from her past that still seemed to follow her around.

_Unstable…crazy…abomination…_

Shaking them away, she opened her blue eyes, alight with determination behind the painful memories. She was not a cowering little child anymore, damn it. She was one of the most, if not the most powerful High Miko that ever existed, and she would do her duty as she was meant to do. So what if these people thought she was a freak and became skittish around her. It had happened before, and it would happen again, just as it would continue to happen for the rest of her life.

'_Not unless you find out what "Chosen One" means…' _She paused as the voice in the back of her head prompted her to remember what would help her. But it was impossible. There were no mikos with her predicament around to tell her where to start looking, and whenever she asked Kaede, the old miko became annoyingly tight-lipped. It always happened with a sorrowful look, but she just told Kagome that whatever it was, she needed to find it on her own. That had been a year ago, right after she ran across a scroll in the Ancient Library written by one of the High Mikos who had the same curse Kagome had. Chosen One. For an hour, Kagome could only stare at those two words on the scroll, feeling something resonate in her but was unsure as to what it was.

Whatever her "Chosen One" was, though, Kagome was beginning to despair of ever finding it. So she would just keep carrying on, bearing the burden given to her without complaint until she succumbed to the insanity that it induced. But, damn if she wasn't tiring from it all. Blinking, she found herself standing in front of her new headquarters and living area for the time being.

'_Suck it up, Kagome,'_ she told herself. _'This is what you were born to do.'_

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Miles away, deep in the vaults of his own ancestral library in his family home, Sesshoumaru's eyes widened imperceptibly as his eyes flew over an ancient scroll from a millennia ago, when his father was just beginning his rule over the Western lands.

"Impossible," he breathed, so quiet he could barely hear himself over the dull whine that was beginning in his ears.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

One thing she found out about the new team she was working with was that they were insane.

Clinically insane.

They had to be, it was the only explanation. Either that or the thought of staying with each other for the night was making them a bit batty.

"Haven't you guys ever done this before?" Kagome asked in a whisper to Sango, who was sitting with her on a comfortable couch while watching the entertaining show of Inuyasha and Kouga bicker. This was at least the fifth fight in the span of the three hours, the last two fights involving fists and claws. This one was rapidly approaching the level of blows being exchanged, and she glanced worriedly at the demon slayer sipping nonchalantly from a soda can as she observed the fighting demons, with the little fox kit goading them on. Miroku watched in silent awe at the scene unfolding before him on the other side of the room.

"Sure, we've done this before," Sango said. "Its not very usual, though, and Inuyasha and Kouga have never really been able to get along in close quarters for an extended period of time. Usually Sesshoumaru just has to look at them or something, and then they stop soon after, but…"

"But he's not here right now," Kagome finished and ignored the disappointed twang she felt in her body that she had felt upon learning the TaiYoukai had left shortly after she went back to her hotel to pack and the enigmatic demon had not yet returned.

"You couldn't touch me in a million years, dog breath," Kouga goaded as Inuyasha finally lost what little patience he had and swiped at the wolf demon with his claws.

"That was just a warning, dickhead," Inuyasha growled. "We're not exactly in the best place for me to whip your ass properly."

"Don't blame the area on your own incompetence, Inuyasha," Shippo goaded. "A demon should be able to hold his own salt in any situation."

"Shut up, runt! You haven't even reached full maturity yet, so don't act like you know what the grown-up's do."

Kagome saw the tips of Shippo's elfish ears flush and felt sorry for the kit.

"Look, maybe everyone should just settle down," she began, standing up with her hands outstretched placatingly. "It's going to be a long night anyway, and it doesn't help when you both fight over every little thing-"

"Name the place, mutt face, and I'll be happy to send you into the dirt there. Then you won't be able to blame the fact that you can't fight worth shit on your surroundings," Kouga cut it.

Kagome's mouth dropped open. The jerks were continuing like they hadn't even heard her! Snapping her mouth shut, she glared at both demons. Out of the corner of her eye, Sango noticed Miroku stand up from his chair and begin to inch away from the group, his eyes locked on Kagome. Looking back at Kagome, she began to follow his example, knowing that the monk knew the powerful miko better than anyone, and if all hell was going to break loose, she didn't want to be near it.

"If you both would just calm down," Kagome tried again, keeping a tight rein on her fiery temper, but Inuyasha interrupted before she could finish her sentence.

"Who are you saying can't fight?! Last I knew, you were just the tracker, Kouga. But your speed is nothing to my Tetsusaiga."

Kouga smirked. "The way you swing that damn sword around makes me think you're compensating for somethin'."

"You bastard," the hanyou growled. "You're lucky I don't carry the sword at all times or you would be cleaved in two by now."

"If you could catch me first!"

Both crouched down low, and then a second later, launched themselves at each other, claws and fangs bared.

"ENOUGH!"

Before the two demons could collide with each other, they both ran into an invisible barrier, getting knocked to the ground. Before they could recover, an invisible force picked up both demons and slammed them into opposite walls, knocking the breath out of both. The same force continued to hold them there, effectively insuring their immobility.

All sets of eyes turned to the irate miko standing in the center of the room, her powers flaring a bit so that everyone knew she was serious and not to be ignored again. Inuyasha's ears flattened to his head when he saw the fire in the miko's eyes. Kouga was looking at her, stunned, and Shippo had a look akin to awe in his green eyes.

"_If_ you two idiots are finished with your petty squabbling, I will let you both down. If not, you can spend the rest of the night pinned to the wall for all I care."

"I love an aggressive woman," Kouga said, somewhat dreamily with a look of admiration and interest flashing in his blue eyes. Kagome gave him a double take, incredulous. Was the wolf out of his mind?"

"Wench, are you out of your mind?" Inuyasha yelled, struggling against the force that still held him strongly to the wall. "Let me down!"

Another flux in her miko powers filled the room just as Inuyasha felt his barrier tighten around him, squeezing him harder against the wall, effectively cutting off his oncoming tirade as well as his breathing.

"Try calling me a wench again," Kagome challenged.

A wheeze was her answer, and she smiled sweetly. A tingle at the back of her mind announced the arrival of someone new, and she groaned inwardly, cursing the fact that she was being caught in this situation. Her fears were confirmed when that deep voice caressed her nerve endings from behind her.

"Miko, if you are quite finished?"

Turning around slowly, she caught the eyes of an impassive Sesshoumaru. Well, maybe not completely impassive, as there was a short-lived light of humor in his eyes as he glanced pointedly at Inuyasha and Kouga. When his eyes returned to her, she had to fight to breathe normally.

Sesshoumaru himself had to fight to keep his stoic façade around her, but he could not help but be amused by the sight of his half brother and the wolf hanging on the wall like artwork. Inuyasha was still wheezing, but Kouga was looking at the little miko with no small amount of respect and a flash of attraction. He felt the stirrings of irritation, and glared stonily at the wolf before turning his gaze to the little spitfire in the middle of the room. Her miko powers were still pulsing, raising the fine hairs on the back of his neck like right after lightening strikes close by. He found the sensation to be odd, and different than when other mikos had used their power around him. This sparked along his skin, leaving tingling in its wake rather the slight sting of purification. His mind flashed back on what he had read in his library, and a spark of suspicion entered his mind once more. He would have to be wary of the miko and keep his distance from her until he was sure what he had read was true. "I would appreciate it if you did not further damage to the last of my bloodline and a member of my team."

She narrowed her eyes at his measured, almost patronizing tone. "Fine," she said loftily, sticking her pert nose in the air and walking to the set of doors behind Sesshoumaru, giving him a wide berth. This was just as well because she wasn't able to see the heat in his eyes at her spunkiness towards him. "I was going to bed anyway."

The doors closed with a distinctive firmness behind her.

"Wench," Inuyasha muttered, and then gave a yelp as his barrier disappeared, sending him sprawling on the floor. Kouga's disappeared as well, but the wolf managed to land on his feet, smirking at the hanyou currently checking to see if he had broken his nose when it smashed to the floor.

"I guess she heard you," he said, and then sighing. "What a woman."

"That was child's play for Kagome," Miroku spoke up, offering the hanyou a hand, finally deeming it to be safe. "Her powers are incredible, and she has a nasty temper to boot when you get her riled up. It would be best not to get on her bad side."

"Keh," Inuyasha said, but remembered how hard he had struggled against the barrier to no avail. The miko did have power, he'd grant her that. And according to his friend, that display had barely scratched the surface of her powers.

He glanced at Sesshoumaru, but the TaiYoukai's attention was nowhere near on the group in the room. Instead, he was staring at the door the miko had just exited through, his golden eyes unreadable.

This whole night was turning out strange. At least some of them had learned one crucial lesson that night: do not piss off the priestess.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Hours later, as everyone was left dozing, Sesshoumaru remained awake. Not that he was actually required to sleep, but in these peaceful times he knew he could indulge and let his guard down enough to rest, but not this night. No, tonight his thoughts plagued his mind with directed with a ferociousness toward one object, the one currently residing in a room down the hall, slumbering quietly. If he focused enough, he could almost hear her breathing, could imagine each quiet sigh in her sleep.

Frowning inwardly, he directed his thoughts to something else. Not for the first time that day, he pondered if it were wise or not to let the miko assist in their investigation. Yes, she was powerful. His mind drifted back to the feel of her power tingling against his nerve endings, and viciously fought down a shudder. Damn it, yes she was powerful, but she was also an overly emotional creature. Her personal reasons for wanting to be involved in this case, while justified, could be a problem and cloud her rationality and thinking.

'_Or is it your rationality that you are worried about_,' a little voice whispered in his head. The miko affected him in ways he was not even aware existed, especially someone of his control. Not to mention the gargantuan absurdity of it all. When he had left to do his research to find any ancient writings on why he was being treated to these foreign reactions, he had been hoping to find a simple spell or explanation. What he had found was so distant from what he had been hoping, he almost didn't believe it when he read it. In fact, he hadn't believed it. It was almost a certain improbability, not to mention ludicrous, and he had been angered at it.

But according to the texts, there was only one way to prove if his theory was correct, and that meant that he was going to be keeping his distance from the miko for the duration of this case. Another complication, but one easily dealt with. He just would not touch her, and she would be treated to the same indifference he deigned to bestow on the rest of the population. Screw what his instincts wanted at the moment, control was more important, and he didn't want to be bound to the little miko.

Putting all thoughts of the annoying woman out of his mind, he closed his eyes and took deep breaths, trying to achieve an air of meditation for the days ahead. But just as his thought processes began to grow sluggish and he reached a relaxed state, a scream rent the air, making his eyes fly open.

The miko.

Something in him reacted to the fear and pain in that harsh cry, and before he knew it, he was in front of her door with the monk and the demon slayer.

"Why are you not doing anything to help her?" Sango demanded, her eyes flitting back and forth from Miroku to Kagome's door worriedly.

"There is nothing I can do," Miroku said, jaw and hands clenched at the futility of it all. "She has to finish the vision, and no one can interfere, not even me."

"What the hell is going on?" Inuyasha said, walking into the hallway with a shocked look followed closely by Kouga and Shippo. "It reeks of her fear in there."

Indeed it did, and it was filling Sesshoumaru's head sickeningly, making his jaw clench imperceptibly. Another low cry filled the air, full of pain and suffering, and his claws clenched before he realized it. His youki flared up in reaction to her sorrow and fear as he heard her sobbing quietly right before another loud scream slowly began to shatter his control.

Something pulled at him, beckoning him…

Something telling him to go to her, a primal instinct that was going to be impossible to ignore.

He had to go to her, needed to go to her and wrap her deep into himself until all of her pain went away…

He fought against it.

"Sesshoumaru?" Inuyasha asked warily, noticing the tension of his half-brothers shoulders. Slowly walking up to the TaiYoukai, he looked into his face before gasping and taking a quick step back.

Sesshoumaru's eyes were leaking red.

"Shit," he cursed softly. "Why in the hell is his youkai taking over?"

"What?" Miroku gasped, taking a quick look at the TaiYoukai as well. True enough, Sesshoumaru's eyes had faint veins of red streaking through the gold, and the stripes on his face became more jagged.

He was fighting that damn call. It took every ounce of his will not to move his feet into the miko's room, knowing that all he needed to do was touch her to free her from her pain. But that wasn't the point. He was not about to let an insignificant feeling tell him, TaiYoukai of the West, what to do. He valued control above everything else, and no little slip of a miko was going to make it unravel from him.

A muffled sob of agony reached his sharp ears….

_Control, it was all about control._

The thrashing of a small body filled the air.

_He was more powerful than this. He would not lose his freedom so easily._

Another low cry, this one almost desperate, crying for someone, anyone to help.

Sesshoumaru's control snapped.

Faster than any human eye could detect, Sesshoumaru had the doors open to the miko's room and strode in.

"Wait, Sesshoumaru-sama! You can not touch her! Her powers won't let you, and I don't know how it will react to your youki!"

Sesshoumaru could hear the monk's voice as if he were underwater, muffled and far away. It didn't matter anyway. Did the measly monk think he was going to stop him?

All that mattered was that he touch her.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Vaguely Kagome wondered what the importance of having these stupid visions if she couldn't even see her damn attackers face? Through another spasm of pain, the body her spirit resided in barely had his eyes open enough to see the surroundings, much less the demon that was causing all of this trouble.

She was in another alley, trapped against the wall as another strip of flesh was ripped off of her back. Or the back of the business man who was currently being made into mincemeat by the beast behind her. She could see the briefcase he had been carrying lying on the ground at his feet, the leather becoming wet by the puddle that resided there. Those eyes looked up again, and she was able to see the far-away yellow sign of an oden shop's store sign in the distance, and willed the man's eyes to focus so she could be able to read it.

_Tsuki's Oden Shop_.

Oden was her favorite too. She laughed humorlessly to herself as she realized that she tended to think of the most mundane things as she was in her visions. It was a coping mechanism, she supposed, used so she could delay the time until she finally lost her mind to the overwhelming and agonizing pain. The man cried out again, and so did she, internally sobbing at the pain.

If only she could get a good look at the bastard who was standing in the background. It seemed he preferred not getting his hands dirty, allowing his companion to rip into her flesh while he watched. It was ridiculous, but it seemed as if she could feel a smirk on his face.

"This one is not worthy, either," his deep voice sounded, and the beast stopped ripping into her. Whimpering silently in her mind, Kagome was glad for the reprieve as she tried to remember every detail and nuance of his voice. "I suppose we'll just have to keep looking." There was a pause. "Kill him."

Those were never good words, she thought to herself as claws ripped into her once more. The man, she, screamed through the pain. It was so much, she didn't feel like she could stand it, but she knew she had to. This was her curse. To endure. To die. And then wake up to catch the evil that preyed on the weak.

She just wished it didn't hurt so much.

Suddenly, the pain stopped. And then she was surrounded with so much warmth and comfort, she felt like sinking down and staying in that place forever. It felt like she belonged there.

Deep down, in the very depths of Kagome's soul, she just knew that something irreversible had happened.

All of the pain was gone, and it was like she was still looking through the man's eyes, but felt nothing. Nothing except her own thoughts and feelings, and it was so _odd_, that it seemed like everything inside her stilled. And something slid home.

Quickly, her eyes snapped open, blurry and unfocused from the tears she had been unconsciously leaking in her sleep. That same warmth and comfort still surrounded her, as well as a low rumbling sound that caused her insides to melt to jelly and melt. She felt languid and relaxed, with none of the usual side effects of a vision. No headache, no nausea, just a complete sense of well being and belonging.

The rumbling she was hearing increased, as something shifted to bring her closer to the comfort. She felt something nuzzle into her hair, and she fought the urge to cuddle back, wanting more of the feeling. Blinking slowly to clear her vision, she was met with the sight of a black shirt with the collar unbuttoned, revealing a few inches of marble skin. She wanted to press her cheek into the skin, it looked so soft and inviting, so she did just that.

She heard, and felt, a sharp intake of breath, and confused, she looked deep into red eyes that were slowly fading. Oddly enough, she felt no fear. She could feel clawed hands stroking her back softly, and instead of the pain she had just been subjugated to, she wanted to purr with the feeling.

Slowly, her mind came back to her, when she finally got a good look at who exactly was holding her and making her feel so good.

"S…Sesshoumaru?"

He could feel his miko call hesitantly to him, and once again bent his head to her hair, inhaling the calming scent of moonflowers and relishing in his name crossing her lush lips. Everything inside of him was rumbling with content, having made her pain stop and offering her comfort. Comfort she enjoyed, and was accepting. Some deep recess of his mind kept telling him he had never felt anything like this before, and was determined to never let it go. He would never let her go.

"What are you doing?"

That same soft voice he had treasured abruptly brought him back to earth, and he found himself lying over the miko with his arms around her, trying to cover every inch of her with himself.

Kagome saw the TaiYoukai who was currently holding her as if she were a giant teddy bear gradually gain his bearings, and the content look on his face slowly faded into hesitation, then fury, then finally back to the cold indifference she knew was a part of him. It was odd how she could feel each separate emotion from him, just from his face.

She felt every muscle in his body tense, and had to keep her blush to herself as she felt everything he had to offer defined and pressed into her body. Slowly, he pushed himself off of her and leaned back until he was sitting on his heels, staring at her.

"Miko," he said to her, his voice no warmer than a block of ice. "You will tell me what you felt in your vision just now."

His voice suggested that she not argue with him, and neither did the look on his face. Haltingly, she began. "I…I felt pain. The same pain I always feel in a vision." She saw his clawed hands clench, and wondered why. "But then…"

"Then…?" he prompted, a slight muscle on his jaw ticking, drawing her fascinated gaze.

"Then…I felt nothing."

"Nothing?" He tried not to let the slight desperation he was feeling coat his voice. If all she felt was nothing, then maybe he had been wrong after all. There was an annoying voice telling him just what he had felt when he held her, but he ruthlessly ignored it.

"Well, not exactly nothing," she said, and his hopes plummeted. To his consternation and, embarrassingly enough, his fascination, her lips stretched into an unconsciously dreamy smile. "I felt…like all of my pain had gone away. I was warm, and felt protected. I felt like I was home."

She seemed to come to herself, and glanced quickly back at him, gasping inwardly at the _fury_ she saw reflecting in his eyes. Self-preservation kicked in, making her scramble away from the enraged killing machine kneeling across from her. If anything, that seemed to infuriate him more. "Sesshoumaru, what's going on?" Something was nagging at the back of her mind, but she couldn't find out what. Then something clicked. "Did…Did you have anything to do this? Is that why you were…were holding me? Did you make me feel like that?"

He didn't answer, but she heard another voice speak up from the doorway. "I've never seen anything like that before." Her head whirled around to meet the awed face of Miroku, as well as the shocked faces of the rest of the team….all currently crowding her doorway. Another damnable blush lit high on her cheeks as their gazes moved from her, to the immobile Sesshoumaru, and then back to her.

"That was truly incredible. Kagome, you are sure you felt no pain?"

She nodded hesitantly.

"Then your curse is broken?"

Miroku could see her freeze in shock as that implication sunk in. That is until Inuyasha opened his mouth.

"Fuck the curse, did you see what she did to _him_?" the hanyou exclaimed, staring at Sesshoumaru, ignoring the warning glare that was sent his way. "She calmed his beast! No one, absolutely no one has ever been able to do that before, and all he did was touch and smell her. How is this possible?"

Cheeks feeling like they were on fire, Kagome shot another glance at Sesshoumaru. He seemed almost not to be breathing. She saw his claws slowly unclench, and he let out a short breath that it seemed only she could hear. She could sense a deep resignation in him, as well as a bit of defiance, and it confused her. Why was he so open to her?

"It is because I am her Chosen One."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

(A/N: I am so sorry this chapter took so long to get out. For your patience, I made it really long. It's just I had to get my thoughts together on this, and get over myself. I had some serious doubts about my writing ability for a while, and almost gave up on myself and this story, but already I'm attached to it, and I want to continue. I knew that the first meeting between Kagome and Sesshoumaru was critical, and I don't think I displayed everything how I wanted it. All in all, I am disappointed in this chapter, but glad that I managed to write it regardless. I will try to become faster in my updates, and again, I apologize. Until next time,

Mujitsu)


	3. Unveiling

(A/N: Well, the long awaited chapter finally appears. Yes, I know it's been a while again, but I've been extremely busy. I just started my new teaching job instructing high school students about English, and then celebrated my 21st birthday on the fourteenth. I almost had this out by then, but something didn't feel right about this chapter, and I had to redo some parts. But, the wait is over, and you can enjoy chapter three.

A HUGE thanks to **Wiccan**, my new beta-reader. She tweaked this around to become the best it could be, and I'm sure you guys will love it more because of that. Also, for all the support I've received from her and others, I thank you.)

Visions

Chapter Three

Unveiling

Absolute silence descended over the odd little group still gathered in Kagome's room. Suddenly, the little miko was finding it very hard to breathe.

"How… how do you know about that?" she asked in a voice barely above a whisper.

He didn't answer, just stared at her in that odd way that was just beginning to unnerve her; she could still sense his anger underneath the surface, although she didn't know _how_ she could tell. There seemed to be a strange thread of connection between them now, humming softly in her subconscious, but her mind couldn't get around the fact that he had just called himself the very thing she had been searching for all of these years.

"'Chosen One'?" Inuyasha spoke up again, his voice skeptical. "What the hell is that? It sounds like something out of a cheesy romance novel."

"I think we are all forgetting the reason why we are here in the first place," Shippo interjected from the hallway. "Anyone remember, you know, that whole problem with the rogue demon going on a killing rampage? Now is not the time to be talking about this."

"Despite the fact that I don't think you appreciate the importance of what just happened here," Miroku said dryly, "you're right. We have time to discuss this later. Kagome, what do you remember from your vision?"

He looked at the young miko, who still looked shell-shocked, and the tense TaiYoukai who was still occupying the bed with her. He knew that, whatever this 'Chosen One' was, it was very important, but they had a killer to find. It seemed like their night had just begun.

"Kagome?" Miroku asked again, almost having to resort to snapping his fingers to get her to focus on him. Truly, he'd never seen her at a loss for words and, as inappropriate as it sounded, he wished for a video camera right then. He turned his thoughts back to more serious matters as Kagome turned large, doe-like eyes on him.

"Tsuki's Oden Shop," she whispered. "That's the only thing I could see as he was ripping… my back…"

As she closed her eyes, Miroku seemed to realize that a part of her was still very much focused on the vision, the look on her face plainly indicating the remembered pain. A soft sound could be heard from Sesshoumaru, a sort of rumbling and, surprisingly enough, it seemed to calm the miko. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Inuyasha's jaw drop.

She continued in a much stronger voice, as if she was unconsciously taking strength from the near-growling sounds coming from Sesshoumaru. "The same beast who killed the victim last night, killed me tonight. The leader was in the background again; I couldn't get a look at either of their faces because I was against the wall, but he said something again. He said I wasn't worthy, or that the human he was killing wasn't worthy."

"Worthy of what?" Sango asked, intrigued by the whole byplay of the two people on the bed, yet trying to keep her mind focused. Still, the sight of the young miko calming down while Sesshoumaru almost seemed to be _purring_ at her seemed a bit… odd. Even in her business.

"I don't know," Kagome said, frowning in thought. "But it might be a motive, if anything." Blinking, she looked at Inuyasha, who still had his mouth opened wide enough that she could see the tips of his fangs, while everyone else was still casting strange, furtive looks at her. "What?"

She noticed that Sesshoumaru changed the tone of his rumbling (_'When had that started,' _shewondered), and directed it towards his half-brother. It was her turn to look strangely at Sesshoumaru, her whole thought process bewildered and confused.

"Tsuki's Oden Shop is a few miles from here, in the downtown district, a less populated area at night. Perfect if someone wanted to engage in less than legal activities," Kouga said thoughtfully. "It's doubtful that there will be any witnesses to anything."

"We have to at least call it in," Sango said. "I'll call the department on the way so the morgue can pick up the victim. We can take the van, so we're not all separated and arriving at different times, just in case the killer is still there. We have to be alert."

"Right," Inuyasha said, already turning to go down the hallway. "What are we waiting for?"

Everyone filed out of the room as Kagome slowly got off the bed, Sesshoumaru following close behind. She was very confused and feeling very vulnerable at the moment, even if it didn't show on her face. Quietly, she began to walk out of the room, almost hunching over. She could still feel the discontent from Sesshoumaru as well, practically pounding at her back. Suddenly, she felt his hand at the small of her back, propelling her down the hallway in an almost protective manner. Immediately, she could feel warmth and comfort infuse her body at the contact of his hand, but her confusion doubled. Why was she reacting to him in this way?

"Sesshoumaru?" she began, tentatively sneaking a peek at him through her lashes. His jaw was rigid, as if he were clenching his teeth together.

"Later, Miko," he said in a low voice. "We have much to discuss about our current predicament but, right now, focus on the case and do not stray too far from me. I don't think it would be too wise, considering the circumstances."

'_Predicament? Circumstances? What the hell was he talking about?'_

"What-" she tried again, but he interrupted once more.

"Later."

Gulping, she nodded quickly, not wanting to anger him further. All of the fight seemed to have gone out of her in the wake of his apparent fury, which still radiated throughout his trim body. She suddenly wanted to know why the thought of displeasing him now bothered her so much.

Regardless of her wish to just sit and let things soak in, she found herself sitting in the front seat of a nondescript van, with Sesshoumaru next to her in the driver's seat. She didn't think she'd ever been as aware of a person as she was in that moment and it disturbed her greatly. Whatever had happened when he touched her for the first time, it had changed something. She kept stealing surreptitious glances at him from the corner of her eye, trying to put a finger on what was so different. Attempting to put aside the emotions that were coursing through her, she tried to look at what she was feeling analytically.

For one thing, she was sure that the TaiYoukai was famed for his control and emotionless façade; right now, though, she was reading him like an open book. The way his hands periodically clenched on the steering wheel, as well as the interesting little tic in his jaw, would be unnoticeable to anyone else, but she knew it meant that his emotions were close to the surface and he was trying desperately to be stoic. There was rage seething beneath the surface, barely kept in check. She knew that, right now, he was one of the most dangerous beings on the planet. Surprisingly, though, she felt no fear toward him. Apprehension, yes, but she knew instinctively that he wouldn't hurt her; another interesting revelation. When it came to the rest of the world's population, however, she wasn't sure they would fare so well.

She was faintly surprised that she could discern so much of what he was feeling, especially since his face never revealed a thing, save for that delicious little tic in his jaw. Yet she knew that his eyes, too, would reveal everything to her. The TaiYoukai wasn't as emotionless as he would like everyone to think. That amused her slightly and, as he slid a withering glare in her direction, she wondered if he could feel the same things about her. That thought sobered her up quickly. If that were true, then they were deeply connected, and she wondered if it was because he was her Chosen One. She was dying of curiosity, but knew that she would have to wait until they finished this night's investigation before she would be able to get any answers.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Going to the place that she saw in her vision turned out to be a bust. The killer had already vacated the area, leaving nothing behind save a torn body. Thankfully, Sesshoumaru ordered the members of the team to take care of the body before Kagome could see it, as if he knew that it would disturb her greatly. Following his request, which had actually sounded more like an order to her (_the bastard)_, she never strayed far from him, despite the tension between them. It was as if she couldn't let him out of her sight, and vice versa, or they would both become uneasy. He never said anything, but she could feel it. Everyone kept throwing them concerned and questioning glances as they scouted the area surrounding the oden shop, however, she wasn't about to offer any explanations, mainly because she had none.

The moon was at its peak in the inky sky when they arrived back at headquarters. By this time, Kagome was about to burst open with curiosity; Sesshoumaru had barely entered the cozy sitting room when she exploded.

"Okay, I've waited long enough. It's time for some explanations. How do you know about the Chosen One? And what makes you think you're mine, for that matter?"

"I belong to no one," was the clipped answer, and Kagome realized that, maybe, she should have phrased her last sentence differently.

"Uh, do you want others to be here for the little spat I can feel brewing, or would you two like to be alone?" Inuyasha spoke up from the doorway, staring at them both strangely.

Sesshoumaru growled at him.

"Right, that's my cue to leave," the hanyou said, ushering the others who were standing around curiously at the door. "It's obvious they have a lot to talk about."

When the door clicked close, Kagome rounded on Sesshoumaru again, only to find him with his head leaned back and eyes closed. He looked extremely tired. "Sesshoumaru?" she asked, concern lacing her voice before she could think.

"Sit down, Miko," he said wearily. "As Inuyasha said, we have much to discuss."

He waited until she was seated across from him, at a distance that his subconscious approved, before he began. "How much do you know about the Chosen One and this situation?"

She sighed. "Unfortunately, not much. Whatever I do know comes from a scroll in the Ancient Library; it just tells of a miko in the past who found her Chosen One, thereby escaping the fate that befalls every miko like me."

"What fate?"

At this, she gave a wry, self-deprecating smile. "Insanity. If a miko does not find her Chosen One, her visions will eventually drive her to lose her mind."

"A harsh fate to bestow upon those who are trying to save the human race," he said, a sliver of condescension entering his deep voice.

She shrugged. "Can't argue with you there. But, that's life. On average, the mikos who have my curse last into their late twenties, except for the one miko who escaped that path by finding her Chosen One. Every time I was depressed, or thought about just ending my pitiful life right then, I remembered that one miko." Her eyes grew distant and faded. "She gave me hope. However, I didn't know what a Chosen One was, nor how to find it." Her eyes suddenly focused on him, making him blink at her. "This is where you come in. I would like a few explanations from you, now."

"Do not presume to order me around," he said calmly, but she could feel the rage and helpless fury he was experiencing. "This is not something I would have chosen for myself, and I'm still trying to see if there is a way to change it."

Look, perhaps if you could explain what 'it' is, I could try to help. You say you are my Chosen One, but I can tell that you aren't thrilled by that prospect. I'm trying not to be angry about being left in the dark here, so cut me some slack. And would you please try to calm down? Your emotions are all over the place and it's not a comfortable feeling."

He stared at her a moment,and she could feel his surprise. "Indeed, not very comfortable at all. It appears, miko, that we have a strong connection to each other. You feel what I feel, and I can feel your emotions as well."

'_Huh, so I wasn't the only one_,' she thought, then she couldn't help herself. She smirked. "Well, it's nice to know I'm not alone in this. I must confess, this morning I thought you were a frigid bastard. I bet everyone else thinks the same. What would they do if they found out how much you keep hidden?"

I am a TaiYoukai," he said softly, as she felt his temper spike. "If I do not keep a rein on my emotions, I cannot predict the consequences. There are many demons out there who would not hesitate to try to take over my position. While they would never be able to do it, it is a matter of retaining their respect and honor."

She looked unimpressed. "Anyway, why do we have this connection? Why are you my Chosen One? How come I didn't feel anything from you before? How did you even know about it in the first place?"

He stood up and began to pace, something he usually onlydid when he was alone. He almost stopped on principa but, at that moment, he just didn't give a damn. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "I will explain it to you, but there will be no interruptions." He waited as she huffed and sat back before beginning, trying not to let his hesitance show even though she could probably feel it from him. Damn that ridiculous connection. "I thought that the Chosen One was just a myth; today I was proven wrong." He paused and she could sense a great reluctance in him. "From the moment I saw you I felt…."

"Felt what?" she asked softly. Even still, it took him a moment to admit it.

"Destiny."

She sucked in a breath, taken aback by his choice of words and the resonance they created within her. Destiny. Was _that_ what this was?

"Once I felt it, knowing how abnormal it was for me, I decided to do some research in my family library. I had heard of this connection before, from my father. I found an old scroll in our library that told of this happening to one of our clan, my father's uncle. He met a miko with whom he had a strange connection, much like ours."

"But there's only been one miko, ever, who found her Chosen One…" Kagome trailed off as the implications hit her. "Your father's uncle was her Chosen One, wasn't he? What did the scroll say? Did it explain anything? How does this whole thing work?"

"Miko," he said, his tone sounding overly ominous in her opinion, so she stilled. "Yes, he spoke of the connection and its power over him." Or rather, domination. At least, that's how Sesshoumaru viewed it. The scroll made it sound like his father's uncle had found his soulmate and immediately claimed the miko as his mate but, to him, it seemed as though his relative couldn't live without the woman, something unbecoming of a powerful member of the inu clan. To have some…clingy bitch...hanging onto him for the rest of eternity did not sound attractive. "The scroll was not overly informative. There was the relating of his first meeting with the miko and the abnormal… attraction he felt for her. Nothing happened until he laid a hand on her for the first time, then the situation was altered. He no longer belonged to himself, but to her. They could read each other's emotions and could sense when the other was in any danger or distress. Subsequently, that connection to her caused his instincts to come to the surface in matters concerning her. None but him could be near her for very long, nor have close contact with her, as it caused his beast displeasure."

"Is that what you feel?" she asked quietly. "About me, I mean."

Once again, she could sense his hesitation and frustration. "I will not deny that certain… baser parts of my personality are more present when you are near me." He held in a snarl, barely.

"What parts?"

She felt a dark flash of energy from him, and wryly guessed that, right at that moment, he didn't want to divulge those things-and that she really didn't want to know when he was like this. The TaiYoukai certainly had a hell of a temper on him. "Forget it. So, what else?"

He looked at her coolly. "We must find a way to see if this is reversible." He could feel a sharp spike of panic coming from her, and steeled his body against the temptation to cross the few feet to her and nuzzle into her hair.

Her voice was calm, however, when she spoke. "Look, Sesshoumaru, I know this is a really big inconvenience for you, and I admit that I'm still ridiculously confused over this, but I'm not about to lie and say that a part of me isn't relieved that I found you. Or, that you found me."

As much as he tried to fight it, a deep part of him was smugly pleased and appeased that she didn't want to get away from him so soon. He watched with lidded eyes as she nervously wrung her fingers together and looked at her lap, hiding her gaze from him. Her voice was extremely soft when she spoke, "The visions have been taking a toll on me lately. I haven't ever really let anyone know what they truly do to me, but you were there, in one with me. The pain…can be extremely overwhelming at some times and the monsters committing the crimes seem to be getting worse with every year that passes. Last year, one killed every night for two months. I could barely eat during that time; I would throw up when I would have flashes of some of the things he did to his victims. His female victims were always treated the worst…" She broke off on a vicious shudder, and he couldn't stop the instinctive step towards her before halting with his fists clenched. "There are things a man can do to a woman that can not only ruin just her body, but also her mind. I've told myself I would have to deal with that- that I would have to be strong enough to take whatever the visions throw at me. However, I've found myself beginning to slip, sometimes. Tonight, though…tonight was the first time I didn't have to deal with it. When you were there, in the vision with me, I knew I was safe."

She looked up at him, her eyes wide and luminous, and he swallowed. "Isn't that funny? I don't even know you. You don't even seem to like me, and anything you might feel is probably just due just to the connection but, for once, I was at peace. Forgive me if I don't want to give that up so easily."

Internally he fought with himself. Her words struck something within him, a part of him calling to protect her and stay with her, yet the other side desired to stay angry, to remember all of the inconveniences this would cause in his life, chaining him down. The latter won. "Then you must forgive me if I refuse to stoop to being some convenient watchdog for an insignificant, cursed miko," he sneered. He felt the shock and hurt course through her like a physical blow, affecting him as if they were his own emotions. Not for the first time, he cursed the damn connection. He was feeling something suspiciously akin to guilt, something he hadn't felt in centuries.

Kagome had her hands clenched against the pain and anger his statement evoked. Insignificant miko, huh? So, she was going to put a wrinkle in his perfect little life and become an inconvenience? To hell with that. And she was really starting to get frustrated with the feel of his youki brushing against her aggressively, by turns, then with soothing waves. Both made her tingle, which made her confused, which led to her giving in to her anger, which then caused her to let a bit of her miko powers leak out, brushing against him in kind. To her unrestrained shock, she watched as his eyes closed and his jaw clenched, his powerful body becoming taut. She felt a spark of pleasure from their connection before he abruptly hissed through clenched fangs, "Don't push me, miko."

She flushed and quickly recalled her powers. He took a few more moments before taking a deep breath, slowly opening his intense eyes. To distract herself from his penetrating gaze, she looked to the side of him and said, "Fine, I get that you don't want this. Since your family scrolls didn't say anything about how to break the connection, there's only one person I know that could give us any additional information on this."

"You would be willing to break the connection?" he asked suspiciously, and had the pleasure of seeing her volatile eyes turn to him with temper flaring. Her scent spiking dangerously, it was almost as tantalizing as the feel of her spiritual powers sparking against his skin.

"I'm not about to force you to do something you don't want to do; besides, with your temper and attitude, I'm not sure I would want you around me anyway!" She sniffed haughtily after this statement, turning her pert nose up at him, causing his more dominant instincts to want to give her a little nip as reprimand for snubbing him. Tamping it down, he asked, "Even though you run the risk of insanity, you would do this?"

'_No person was that unselfish.'_ His eyes narrowed, but he could sense no deceit from her, just her delicious temper. 

"Is that so hard to believe?" she shot back. "Trust me, I don't want to be around someone who doesn't want me. I've had enough of that in my lifetime anyway." Her lower lip trembled dangerously for a second before she clenched her jaw. He paused for a moment, but she didn't give him a chance to say anything before she spoke again. "I'm sure my mentor, Kaede, will have some answers for us. We might as well get this over with as soon as possible. After all, I wouldn't want you to suffer my presence too much longer." She got up and marched to the doorway as he held back a growl at her flippant comments. Damn all females and their stupid emotions! Grudgingly, he followed her to where she was currently dialing one of the speaker phones in the office as she flounced into a seat. Tensely, he sat down in a seat across from her, waiting for whoever was going to be on the other end of the line to pick up.

"Who is this and why, in the name of all that's holy, are you calling me at this godawful hour?" a scratchy, ancient, warbling female voice answered.

"Kaede, its Kagome."

"Kagome?" The voice sounded a bit more alert. "What's wrong, child?"

"I seem to have run into a bit of a… problem...here, Kaede, and could really use your knowledge."

"About what, child?"

"About the Chosen One." There was a pause on the line.

"You know I can't give that information to you, Kagome," the older voice said regretfully. "It's up to you to find what. or who, is your Chosen One."

"See, that's the problem," Kagome said, sheepishly. "I, uh, I've kind of found him."

"What?" Kaede's voice was sharp. "What do you mean? Him?"

"Yes, Kaede. Sesshoumaru-sama is my Chosen One."

"Sesshoumaru? As in TaiYoukai of the Western lands, that Sesshoumaru?"

"The very same," Sesshoumaru spoke up, not pleased to be left out of the conversation.

"Well."

"Well?" Kagome repeated. "You don't sound all that surprised."

"Considering that the last Chosen One discovered was a part of his lineage, I can't say that I am."

"What do you know about the Chosen One, Kaede? Is it reversible? We're kind of in the dark here."

"Reversible?" There was a short, rusty bark of laughter. "Why would you want to reverse it? This is the best thing that could happen to you, child."

"To me, maybe," Kagome said with an uncomfortable glance towards Sesshoumaru. "But there are two people involved in this."

"Sesshoumaru-sama, you are displeased with these events?" Now Kaede really did sound surprised. "You have finally found your chosen mate. Any demon, especially a powerful pack demon such as yourself, should be pleased."

"Mate?" he said sharply. "What are you talking about, old woman?"

"You really don't know, do you?" There was a sigh. "I hope you are sitting down, because this might take awhile. Kagome, while Sesshoumaru is your Chosen One, you were also chosen by the Gods for him. Specifically for him, otherwise there wouldn't be such a strong connection between you two. Am I right?"

"About there being a connection? Well, yes." Kagome furrowed her brows. "Is that what it's like between demons and their mates? We never got around to that area of my education."

"Yes, there is a strong connection between youkai and their mates. Unbreakable, almost. Sesshoumaru-sama, already your instincts are in overdrive to protect her, right?"

Silence was her confirmation.

"If you were officially mated to her, it would be the same feeling. Surely your father told you this."

"My father has been dead for centuries, leaving me when I was still a pup," was the cool reply. "Are you suggesting that, even without this ridiculous Chosen One nonsense, I would still be compatible with the miko as a mate?" Was she telling him that all of this was unavoidable in the first place? He shot the petite miko a look from under his lashes, considering her. Would he find her attractive without the connection? Possibly, he mused, but there was no guarantee.

"Yes, that is what I'm saying. You were chosen for Kagome to be her protector, but she was also chosen for you to complete you. To be your other half. That is the relationship between the Chosen One and his charge."

"Could you explain this relationship a little bit further?" Kagome asked, while Sesshoumaru was trying to wrap his mind around the fact that Kagome would have been his ideal mate regardless.

"You are now tied to Sesshoumaru-sama, Kagome, as he is to you. You two cannot be parted for long, or his beast will become anxious without you by his side and you will feel uneasy as well. To hear these reactions described, it sounds very mild but, I warn you, these emotions can be intense. The connection between you two will only get stronger as time goes on."

Kagome looked dismayed she felt Sesshoumaru's reaction to that statement. She could hardly ever leave his side, otherwise she would pine and yearn for him like some simpering ninny? That didn't paint a rather attractive picture of her.

"As you know, there are very important benefits to this connection already. Kagome, when Sesshoumaru touches you during a vision, do you feel any of the pain?"

"No," Kagome admitted. "I was able to just view the vision without feeling the emotions of the victim or the pain."

"Conversely, Sesshoumaru-sama, your beast is pleased to be able to help your mate, it thrives on being able to keep her from harm."

"She is not my mate, woman," he said lowly. This situation was quickly getting out of control and he needed to regain some semblance of it.

"That is just a technicality now, my lord," Kaede said, going on as if his opinion didn't matter. He held back a growl of displeasure. "And something that, I'm afraid, will be...uh...rectified. Soon, most likely."

Both the miko and the demon froze. "Kaede, what are you talking about?" Kagome asked cautiously.

The old miko sounded slightly embarrassed, but forged onward. "Your physical relationship is also very important, and both of you will need to have constant contact with one another. Not just the usual contact that a demon of your nature would thrive on, though, Sesshoumaru-sama, but also more intimate."

"What are you trying to say?" Sesshoumaru asked bluntly, his patience at an end.

"You will only ever feel truly complete with one another when you are inside her, Sesshoumaru-sama," Kaede said frankly. "Your connection will not, and cannot, remain just emotional. Sex is one of the most powerful bonding methods. You were made to… please one another. You will know things about each other, without even needing to ask, and you will both become stronger each time you renew, uh, this certain connection."

Kagome's face was quickly rivaling a tomato, and Sesshoumaru's face had eerily blanked of all emotion. She could still sense inside him, though, and he was in chaos: disbelief, anger, and, to her dismay, a sliver of lust that would flicker stronger by turns. She would have to sleep with him? Remembering the attraction she felt when she first saw him, and still continued to feel, her traitorous body heated and she really couldn't help but scrutinize him. Kaede had said that she would know things she normally wouldn't know about him, so now she concentrated on really looking at him. Her eyes landed on the pointed tip of his ear and, without thinking, she knew that he would go wild if she stroked him there. Or, that he would be at her mercy if she put her mouth there and ran her tongue over the interesting folds. Or, over other places…

She held in a gasp as a wave of heat overtook her, and his eyes turned sharply in her direction. Taking a deep breath, she tried to tear the lusty thoughts from her head and focus on something else so, she wouldn't have to feel the answering heat within him. He didn't want _her_, it was just the damn connection. That sobered Kagome up quickly. He didn't want her, not really. She needed to remember that and try to find a way around this, for his sake.

"Kaede, I don't understand why the Gods chose us to be compatible. I am a miko and he is a demon, a very powerful one. In the natural order of things, we would be considered enemies."

"No, you are not enemies and, indeed, were never meant to be enemies. It is society that has labeled you as such, not the Gods. Even now, your powers will not be able to hurt him, nor would he be able to bring harm to you with his youki, because of the connection. You can only provide aide and comfort to one another."

Sesshoumaru thought back on the pleasurable tingle of her miko powers on his skin and fought a shudder. From the way her scent changed in that moment, he knew she, too, was not unaffected by his powers. A miko who couldn't harm him was very interesting, and his out of control thoughts rapidly turned towards all the way she could provide pleasure for him with her powers, as well as how he could pleasure her. He tore himself away from contemplating such delights when the old miko on the phone spoke again.

"Your miko power is now the perfect contrast to his overwhelming youki. The fates knew that, even though you are opposite, youkai and miko are the perfect compliment in power to one another. Since you are already a High Miko and Sesshoumaru is considered one of the most powerful demons in Japan, you two make a formidable force, most likely unrivaled by any other in the world."

That caught Sesshoumaru's attention. His quest for power was never-ending yet the fact that this little slip of a girl could provide power for him was almost laughable, as long as he didn't take it into account that he could feel the thrum of her powers within her. She would make a worthy mate for any demon, and giving him power no other demon would have.

That train of thought screeched to a halt when he realized what had just passed through his mind. Slowly, his idea of the miko was being warped into something beneficial- he needed to keep his wits about him. He didn't choose this.

"You will tell me how to reverse this," he demanded imperiously, placing his claws on the table and standing up slowly.

"I am afraid that is impossible, my lord," Kaede said. "Even if there was a way, you would be defying the gods and would be punished accordingly."

He fought against he urge to snarl. Kagome quickly spoke up to try to appease his temper, even though it was unthinking. "Kaede, I'm sure Sesshoumaru is justified in his anger. Because of this connection, I know that I am not his true choice for a… mate," her mouth almost stumbled on the word, but she pressed forward. "I don't want him to have to feel bound or obligated to me. Please, isn't there a way?"

"No, child, there is not," Kaede said, this time regretfully. "Sesshoumaru-sama, you need to understand that this is what was meant to be. You perfect each other and you will be happy with her. There can be no other for you than her. Soon, you will realize this and protect her with all of your being. Kagome is your destiny."

Both froze when they heard that word. Destiny. Something was beginning to click into place in Sesshoumaru's mind, but he tried desperately to ignore it. He had been desirous of the perfect mate for centuries, but this wasn't the way he thought he'd attain one. A whisper in his mind was saying that this was what he'd wanted all along, yet he still fought. He needed to get away from that impossible miko and think. Baring his fangs at the unmoving and bewildered miko, he stalked out of the room, ignoring the way his mind was already telling him to go back to her, that it was stupid to leave. He was going to do this his own way, damn it.

The door slammed closed behind him, making Kagome flinch.

"Kagome?" Kaede asked over the phone. "Is everything all right?"

"I don't know, Kaede," Kagome said, feeling cold without the presence of Sesshoumaru in the room. She wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly feeling very defenseless. She could still feel him, but it was fading and she realized he was leaving. Panic gripped her and unbidden tears came to her eyes.

She suddenly felt very alone.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

The foothills of Mt. Fuji were among his favorite places to go to when he wanted to be alone. Even though he was a modernized demon, his very nature demanded being away from the smells of the city occasionally and basking in the power of the earth. His speed allowed him to travel away from the city at will and he was currently looking up at the fading moon while sitting on a large rock, pondering the events that took place that night.

More importantly, he was pondering the existence of one very unique and odd miko. Once his temper had faded somewhat, he knew he needed to look at his situation logically. He was nothing if not a logical and calculating being, and he knew he would do the thing that benefited him the most. Selfish, maybe, he thought with a mental shrug. Then again, he was, to be quite honest, a selfish being.

The night had brought him more surprises than he had thought possible and he hated surprises. Nothing was going the way he expected it to and, out here alone, he could finally admit that he was at a loss as to what to do about it. The connection with the miko was pulling at him, calling him to go back to her, and part of him wanted to give in. That part was telling him that he had left his mate alone, defenseless and vulnerable.

But she wasn't his mate. He closed his eyes as his thoughts were torn in two. Was this really the will of the gods? Would he be tempting fate if he just left her?

His eyes shot open as something in him rebelled violently at the thought of being separated from the miko; of leaving her to the cruel fate of going insane because of the visons.

The old miko, Kaede, had said that Kagome was his other half. She appealed to his demonic side and his beast was more than happy with her presence. It was the logical side of his mind that rebelled. She wasn't **his** choice.

'_But she could be…'_

If he accepted her, it would be on his terms.

With that thought in mind, he weighed the pros and cons.

He saw her as desireable and the connection would ensure that he would always want to be around her. She was a powerful miko, as able to use her power as he was his, thus aiding him against any enemies. She would be saved from madness if he stayed by her side, although he grimaced at the thought of doing something nice for someone. But it would be different, though, if he was doing it for his mate. It would be his duty. Besides, the miko was unique.

He frowned. Yes, she was unique, stubborn, and just happened to have a temper to rival his own. That would be a con. Then the memory assailed him of just how delectable she looked when she had a spark of temper in her eyes and color on her cheeks. His blood heated at the thought of taking that temper away, turning her mind to other intense emotions, and he shook his head. Okay, maybe not a con after all.

He would look weak in front of his enemies. Taking on a human mate, a miko to boot, all because he couldn't fight the connection to her. Yes, definitely a big con.

'_But you've never cared what other, lowly beings have thought of you, and you would have something no other demon would have: a powerful miko mate with purification ability. They would bow down once again to your superiority and any who dared defy you would be turned to ash.'_

These pros and cons were getting him nowhere and he could still feel that damned pull at his soul to go back to the miko. A little while longer and it would start to become more than unbearable. This must be the uneasiness that the old miko was talking about and he didn't like it, not one bit.

Then again, what if she had another vision when he wasn't there? What if someone tried to touch her on his territory? The possessive side of him rose up, faintly surprising him with its intensity. She could make him feel things long buried and almost forgotten. Things he should only be feeling towards his chosen mate.

He looked up at the moon, waiting for answers. He received none.

The call to go to her came again and, this time, he couldn't ignore it.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

She was sleeping, tossing and turning uncomfortably on the covers as her body fought for rest, while another part of her was yearning for something… or someone. Since Sesshoumaru left, that empty feeling inside of her grew into hollowness and she felt utterly miserable. She was amazed at the effect he had on her. She didn't know him, didn't even know if she liked him, yet she couldn't truly sleep anymore unless he was there. What if another vision came? She was used to the pain of her visions, but, since she'd had a sip of a painless encounter, she found she was addicted. The thought of going back to that pain was enough to make her whimper.

She heard a sharply indrawn breath and froze. She relaxed when she felt the ghost of a touch on her hair and felt the hollow feeling inside her immediately fill up. She murmured sleepily, "Sesshoumaru?"

The hand halting its motion on her head was her answer. "What are you doing here?" she asked, though not really caring because his comforting presence was already sending her on her way into a deep, dreamless sleep.

"I find myself unable to leave you, miko," was his reluctant answer. The ache in his chest had gone as soon as he had seen her slumbering form. He had been drawn to her, watching her sleep fitfully for several minutes, his claws clenched at his sides. It was her tiny sound of distress that had him reaching for her, trailing those claws through the silk of her hair, feeling contentment fill him. He was so unused to that feeling that he had forgotten what it had felt like. He decided that it could become addicting.

"Okay," she said, nuzzling his hand unconsciously, before sinking back into her pillow. In doing so, she missed the way his hand clenched at his side at her childlike trust in him. To be allowed to watch over a pack member while they slept was the biggest display of trust the inu clan had; it filled him with a foreign emotion which, under any other circumstances, he would have called tenderness. His eyes hardened as he realized that it was probably just another side effect of their bond, but his hand never stopped stroking her soft hair.

Becoming aware of what he was doingand how unlike him it was, he left her side to go sit in one of the chairs by the windows, but soon her restless tossing called him back to her side. He gently laid a clawed hand on her cheek, and she sighed softly before calming. It seemed that the miko was more at ease, especially when she slept, if he was touching her.

That thought filled him with an absurd sense of pride and he rolled his eyes at himself. He was turning into a pup all over again, all because of this woman. She was making him lose face, even with himself.

That damnable part of him, which had become more vocal as time went on, told him to think of it as a type of power over her. She couldn't sleep without him; only he could grant her rest. It wasn't that he found _himself_ unable to sleep if he wasn't with her, it was the other way around. He had a right to feel proud of that, as well as a bit smug.

He hesitated for about a second before shrugging mentally and removing his shoes. He doubted he would get much rest this night anyway; besides, there was no one around to see. In the morning, he would decide what to do but, for now, he just didn't want to think anymore.

He gingerly settled in behind her, her back barely brushing his chest, and set his hands hesitantly on her waist. She wiggled closer to him and he thought to himself that maybe this wasn't the_ best_ idea he'd ever had; now her soft rear was against the cradle of his hips with her silky hair tickling his chin, teasing his nose with her delectable scent. It took a few moments for his brain to send the signal to his hands to refrain from roaming all over her softly giving body, but it took longer than that for his blood to cool down.

A slightly exasperated sigh left his lips, barely audible, even to himself.

What was he going to do with his little miko now?

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

(I hope you all enjoyed that as much as I enjoyed writing it. It's picking up, ne? I will try to get the next chapter out as soon as possible, but I need to start getting more motivated. Reviews always help, as does everyone's continued support. Until next time.

Mujitsu)


	4. Soul Stealer

My ultimate thanks goes to Wiccan for being my pushy beta (her words, not mine). I think you are friggin' awesome for putting up with the long updates and the mess that I know can be my work. So thank you so much.

Visions

Chapter Four

Soul Stealer

_All the worlds a stage; the men and women merely players._

Kagome thought that if Shakespeare's words were really true, then she was part of a really fucked up play. A play that had her waking up on top of an unyielding, steadily moving surface that smelled absolutely delicious, driving her to want to rub her cheek all over it just to retain that scent. 'What the hell,' she shrugged mentally. She wasn't fully awake anyway, or so she told herself, and happily nuzzled into the surface beneath her, pleasantly surprised to find it hard and silky. Absently, her hand began moving against her new bed, curious at the various dips and hollows that her new pillow possessed. Inhaling once more, she had the sudden inane urge to run her lips against the velvety texture that her hand was exploring.

Shifting her head, she had barely skimmed her lips across the surface before her head was caught in a vice grip from a clawed hand, and the thing under her fairly _rumbled_ with a sound she knew to be an impressive growl. Gasping, her eyes shot open, trying to focus on whatever was under her. Pale skin met her gaze, revealed by a partially unbuttoned shirt, covering an immense chest that was quite ridiculously toned. Gathering her bearings, Kagome realized that one of her hands were on a large pectoral muscle, and her lips were currently still in contact with the skin that lay one inch directly right of a pale pink, very decidedly male nipple.

The rumbling beneath her grew in volume as she stiffened, and the claws entwined in her hair tensed. Her first instinct to just bolt and go wallow in her own embarrassment was abruptly killed by those very same claws running gently over her scalp, as if asking her to stay and continue her exploration. The growling noise had ceased, then returned with a different cadence to its tone, becoming deeper and effortlessly sensual. Her bones wanted to melt at the sound and her body almost moved before she could stop it, her taste buds wanting more of the skin she'd sampled just moments earlier. However, her memories came rushing back her and she realized exactly _who_ was under her. She had a feeling that, despite his body's reactions, he wouldn't be very pleased with her groping and licking him like a kitten with a saucer of milk. No matter how tempting it sounded.

"Sesshoumaru?" she asked cautiously.

Sesshoumaru himself had woken up to a feeling of contentment unlike anything he'd ever known. It was like he was floating and slightly disoriented, something he knew he'd never felt before. There was a soft, warm weight on his chest that felt very comfortable and smelled amazing. Inhaling with his demon senses, he brought that smell deep into his body, his muscles relaxing instantly into an almost liquid state. Even though his mind was still slightly hazy, he knew that it was rare for him to completely let his guard down like this. Only when he knew he was in an environment that was completely safe could he let his defenses down.

The bundle on top of him shifted slightly, centering his floating thoughts on it. Something soft rubbed against him, and he thought that it felt very nice; so nice, that it would be better if it rubbed over his whole body instead of just his upper body. He wanted to open his eyes, but he felt too damn comfortable to make the effort. Something touched his chest then, teasing, exploring, and it felt incredibly good. His body reacted slowly to the touch, his blood heating and flowing sluggishly under the drugging pleasure of that solitary touch running over the muscles on his torso.

His body jerked into an aroused, complete consciousness the instant he felt soft lips touch his skin, so close to a very sensitive part on his body that budded up with unfulfilled desire. That wasn't the only thing hardening on his body, as his eyes jerked open to see a dark head hovering under his chin, his hand lost in the ebony tresses as a sharp growl of pleasure left him.

'_When did I put my hand there?'_ he wondered, quite stupidly, he later realized.

His thoughts flittered away from him as he felt the female above him tense, knowing that she was going to pull away. His instincts came to the forefront, unconsciously running his claws through her hair, wanting to press her head against him to continue her ministrations, his growl telling her that she pleased him and that he wanted her. Badly. 

"Sesshoumaru?"

Her voice violently brought him back to earth, and he stiffened beneath her.

It was the miko on top of him that was producing those extraordinary feelings, and he was allowing her free rein over his body. Abruptly, he dropped his hands to his side, although his body still throbbed, pulsing with lust for the young woman on top of him. Her timid, innocent expression was testing his resolve not to just kiss her silly until she was beneath him, writhing in ecstasy. She shifted slightly, and he inhaled sharply.

"Woman," he said through rather gritted teeth as his eyes closed slightly. "Would you kindly remove your knee?"

"What?" A gasp. "Oh!"

She quickly scrambled off of him, again unknowingly brushing against the erection she'd created, causing his fists to clench. She stood blushing by the bed, waiting for him to say something. He willed his blood to cool, something that was very difficult when her scent was still driving him mad. Finally, though, he regained his renowned control and sat up to face her.

She stared back at him with wide eyes, her cheeks tinged with a virginal blush that did strange things to his libido, and he silently marveled at the effect she had on him. He'd taken control over his lust centuries ago, never again allowing himself to be affected by worthless bitches who were beneath his notice. Then, this little slip of a miko waltzed in and spiked the lust of his demonic nature with barely a sigh from her tantalizing lips. He was a sexual being by nature, as most Inuyoukai's were, and a predator at heart. His kind reveled in the chase of a worthy female, but he had stopped chasing long ago; now his overly amorous body had reawakened with a vengeance.

"I'm so sorry," he heard her blurt out, wringing her hands in agitation. "I had forgotten that you came in during the night, and I wasn't really expecting you to be in bed with me-" She stopped abruptly, as if what she had just said penetrated her head. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Why _were_ you in bed with me, anyway?"

She faced his cool gaze unflinchingly, even though she wanted to bite her tongue off at her stupidity.

"It is not relevant," he said in dismissal, before standing up with fluid grace and straightened his clothing. He smelled the spike in her temper, and fought the urge to close his eyes in pleasure at her scent. It was so much more… enticing when it was laced with heat.

"Not relevant?" she said in a disbelieving tone. "Well, maybe not to you, but it's not everyday that I have men waking up under me in bed…" She stopped as his gaze sharpened on her, and she thought for a moment that the corner of his mouth had turned up in an odd little quirk. She blinked, and it was gone. Before she could say anything, there came a knock on the door.

"Kagome, are you okay?" The monk's concerned voice wafted through the door, and Sesshoumaru found himself annoyed that the monk was so overly concerned about the miko this early in the morning. Tamping it down, he strode to the door and opened it wide, meeting the almost-knowing gaze of Miroku. Before any other comment could come, Sesshoumaru left with a swish of his silver hair, leaving Kagome frowning at Miroku.

"Did I interrupt something?" he asked innocently.

"No," she ground out. "Not a thing."

"Good. We have a lot to do today."

"Such as?" she asked, trying to run her hands through her unruly hair to gain some semblance of order to it. Huffing, she gave up after a moment and just allowed it to fall in wild disarray down her back.

"Such as trying to catch a villain," he said, a gleam in his eyes.

"What happened to the body from last night? Maybe we can get something from it."

"You really don't want to see it," he said, grimacing. "It was taken to the morgue last night and they performed an autopsy. The actual death of the victim was caused by massive blood loss. They kept him living long enough for him not to die from the other wounds."

"So then what are we doing today?"

"We didn't really get a feel for the crime scene last night because we were distracted by… other things," he said, with a sideways glance towards her. She flushed. She knew he was referring to her strange connection with Sesshoumaru which, at the moment, said that she needed to be near him and in his sight, but she resisted. He didn't want her around anyway. "Maybe we can get a better look and more insight today," Miroku finished.

"Fine, let me change and get something to eat, then we'll go."

Quickly she ushered the monk out, hurriedly changing into a sweatshirt and jeans. After lacing up practical tennis shoes and running a brush through her unmanageable hair, she was ready to go.

She was greeted by four pairs of curious eyes, while Sesshoumaru eyed her with a coolly detached gaze from the corner and Miroku looked on in slight amusement. She let herself look at Sesshoumaru for a brief moment, disregarding his aloofness; she could feel his slight relief when she entered the room, and she knew he was glad he could see her again. Regardless of whether it was the connection or not, he wasn't fooling anyone.

"Good morning," she said, and then pointedly got herself a piece of toast and a glass of juice from the mini-fridge. They were dining in the break room of the penthouse headquarters, and Kagome wondered how much longer they would be there. This trip hadn't turned out exactly as she'd planned, and a wry smile touched her face. She wasn't expecting to be caught up in another case, especially one so violent and malevolent. Whoever they were dealing with, this was different. Not for the first time, she felt a twinge of uncertainty. What if she couldn't handle it this time? She was one of the most powerful mikos of all time, she knew this, but this was no ordinary being they were dealing with. They didn't even _know_ what they were dealing with, whether it was demon or human.

The accomplice was demon, she knew that. It had been distinctly claws that ripped into her. But the leader… he was different. She'd felt a slight touch of his aura, but it hadn't told her anything significant about his origin. All she had felt was a sense of smothering foreboding.

As she brooded, Sesshoumaru watched her from across the room with surreptitious glances. In the clear light of morning, he was still as confused as ever. He told himself last night that he was going to decide what to do with this new complication in his life, but he was no closer to finding the answer than last night when he had been so angry. Or after he had spent the night in her bed. Heat stole through his blood with a speed that left him reeling on the inside as he remembered the interlude of the morning. Of her soft form fitted against him during the night. The scent of her.

Damn it, he didn't need her in his life! He hadn't been searching for a mate, technically speaking, and now one just seemed to fall into his lap. A stubborn, bull-headed, complicated….passionate, innocent _miko_, of all things. One who had the courage to continue living her life in the face of insanity, who talked in a shy voice of how he helped her through the visions, and who slept trustingly in his arms when he could tear her limb from limb without even trying.

As he watched her pick at her toast and saw the slightly malnourished look of her body, he concluded that she obviously didn't know how to take care of herself either.

Kagome jumped as another plate with a bagel and cream cheese landed in front of her. She looked up to see Sesshoumaru standing above her, his eyebrows drawn in a low line. "Eat," was all he said, then left the room with her gaping after him.

She wasn't the only one staring. Inuyasha's mouth had practically fallen open at his half-brother's departure, while Shippou's eyes nearly bugged out of his head.

"Kagome, do you think it would be best if you explained to everyone else your new relationship with Sesshoumaru, that way we are not all left in the dark and surprised whenever displays like that happen?" Miroku suggested, and Kagome nodded.

Quickly, she did a run-down of what a Chosen One was and how it affected her and Sesshoumaru. She left out the part of what Kaede said about their physical relationship, not willing to try to explain about that.

"So, basically," Inuyasha said when she was finished, "you and Sesshoumaru have this connection now that is stronger than if you were mates?"

Kagome shrugged. "Basically. I don't know much about demons and their mates though, so I can't really say for sure."

"Well, I see characteristics of it so far. He needs you to eat and take care of yourself; he needs to be around you and protect you. You'll need to have constant physical contact with him."

She blushed at this and, while Miroku looked on in amused silence, he saw Kouga scowl.

"And you can't have a lot of other males around you, otherwise their scent will taint yours. He needs to establish his dominance and that you are his rightful mate; as a TaiYoukai, Sesshoumaru has more power to enforce this. It's important to him."

"So I'm not allowed to have any other scent on me than my own?" she demanded.

"Or his," the hanyou said wickedly.

Kagome groaned. "Great."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

In the clear light of day, the alleyway across from Tsuki's Oden Shop didn't look all that ominous. But then, that was the nature of the night. It was full of the unknown, creeping shadows, and an aura of mystery that suggested that anything could happen, sinister or otherwise. Unfortunately for the victim last night, it was the former rather than the latter.

Blood still stained the walls.

Kagome noted that, in almost a detached way, as she stood staring at the place where the victim took his last breath. It would be a while before any cleaning team could make sure that evidence from last night would not remain and, even then, it would never be completely erased. Society might want to simply note that a terrible tragedy happened in this alleyway, then continue on as if nothing happened. The victim would just be another statistic of crime, eventually being forgotten. But Kagome would never forget. She couldn't forget.

Maybe that's why she was cursed, she mused. Someone needed to remember the dead.

Of course, she wished that she didn't have to remember so vividly. As she walked towards where the body had taken its last breath, she felt something strange, a shift in her powers.

"I don't know what we're expecting to find," Inuyasha complained, skirting the rotting garbage that was overflowing a nearby dumpster. "We've already established that this guy doesn't really leave anything behind."

"It doesn't hurt to look, Inuyasha," Sango said, glancing back to where the police tape waved in the slight breeze and a few curious passers-by were trying to sneak a glance. "You never know when we might find something; besides, you know the first rule of serial killers. They'll always screw up, sooner or later."

Sesshoumaru was eyeing Kagome closely, watching her wander to the far wall, a faint frown between her eyelids. She looked as if she were caught in the middle of a dream, moving slowly. Miroku followed Sesshoumaru's gaze. "Kagome?"

"I feel something," she said distantly. "Wait…. no, I don't feel something."

"What?" Miroku was confused. "You're not making any sense."

"Something feels off. As if I'm supposed to feel something, but it's not there."

Sesshoumaru edged subtly closer to her, drawn to her despite himself.

"Don't you feel it, Miroku?" Kagome asked, her eyes half closed as her subconscious tried to find out what she was missing. It was something important.

Sesshoumaru saw her standing directly over the place where the body had lain. Suddenly, he didn't want her anywhere near this place, anywhere near where that bastard had made her feel such pain. He wanted to take her away from everything in that one moment, to leave right then and go with him to where they could be alone. Just the two of them.

The fierce protectiveness that welled up in him was foreign to him, something he hadn't felt since he was a pup, before he reined in his emotions. Right now, that damn feeling almost had his feet moving forward, but he resisted it, clenching his jaw. He watched the monk go forward instead, the demon side of him snarling at his own cowardice and the sight of another man going near her.

It was utter madness.

"Can't you feel it, Miroku? Something is missing, something vital. Concentrate hard," Kagome said, her eyes fully closed.

Miroku followed suit and both looked like they were meditating calmly, right in the middle of a murder scene. It was a very odd sight, even for the older demons.

After a few minutes of silence, Miroku frowned. "I feel that something is missing also, but I can't put my finger on it. It's almost as if there should be some sort of lingering aura, but there isn't. Or something is unsettled."

"What, like a soul?" Shippou spoke up.

Kagome's eyes snapped open. "That's it! Shippou, you're a genius!"

The tips of the kit's ears flushed a dull red as Kagome continued on excitedly, her eyes sparkling in animation. "There was an incident a long time ago, before I even knew I was a miko, when a soul-stealer targeted people. I felt the same type of feeling then, an unsettling feeling. It must have been the fact that the soul never really passed on into the afterlife, but was taken. That is what's missing!"

Confused gazes met her excitement, except for Sesshoumaru, who was looking at her consideringly. She let out a frustrated noise. "I don't know quite how to explain it but… when a human dies, the soul travels to the afterlife. Usually there is either a feeling of extreme content, or the opposite. There is no feeling here, nor was there any feeling back when souls were stolen around me when I was a child. We just learned something extra about our killer: he has the ability to steal souls."

"This also opens up a question of motive that we can work on," Sesshoumaru spoke up, taking command of his team. "Who would want to steal the souls of these specific humans, and why? And, if he is stealing souls, why does he have an accomplice that does the violent acts?"

"Finally," Kouga said. "We have a direction to go in and something to focus on."

"So go focus on it," Sesshoumaru said coolly. "Find out what demons have the capability to steal souls in the demon registry."

"We'll be likely to find out more now the next time I have a vision," Kagome said excitedly. She missed Sesshoumaru's frown at the mention of another vision.

"Let's get to work."

As one, the team moved on.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

There was no way to really describe how Sesshoumaru was feeling at the moment. Absurd, maybe. Restless, yes. Anxious. And all because of that confounded miko. As the day had gone on, he became more focused on her. She could not be out of his sight for a few minutes before he had the urge to go and drag her to him. He resisted the urge to snarl anytime one of the other male members of the team got close to her. It was not like him, and certainly not befitting of his station.

Not to mention the random surges of lust he felt for her, without even looking at her. All he had to do was walk into a room where she had been, catch a whiff of her fading scent, and he was harder than rock. Frankly, it baffled him. He had never felt such an overpowering sense of want for any living creature, even when he was a young prince and let his lust loose on any pretty thing that was willing. This was beyond that.

_Destiny._

His jaw clenched at the thought. Was the old miko, Kaede, right? Was there no way to reverse this bond because they were destined for each other? Would he really anger the Gods if he refused her? His thoughts shifted as he realized what would happen to her. She would go insane, lose her vivacious personality to madness. Something about that thought frankly bothered him a lot.

As of that moment, he was sitting in his own personal office, his head leaned back against his chair, while everyone else on the team was finding their place of rest for the night. They would have a complete list of registered soul-stealers by tomorrow morning, as well as a few leads they would have to follow to get information. Now that they had a purpose, there was a renewed sense of energy and excitement within the group. They had gone on so long, without any lead whatsoever to follow this murdering demon, it had grated on his nerves. He was not used to failure.

He was no closer to accepting the miko than he had been when he first found out he was her Chosen One, but some damnable part inside of him could not completely shun her either. By turns, throughout the day, he had been subtly attentive to her, and then ignored her. He could sense the faint feeling of hurt within her when he deliberately walked away from her but, if he could sense her emotions, surely she could sense how much this whole situation was confusing him. He didn't like to be confused, yet he seemed to be doing a lot of things he didn't like since the miko entered his life. Still, he was feeling things he had never felt either, and it made him think. He was nothing if not a rational creature. Yes, there was a beast lingering inside of him, more so than the logic, but he'd had tight control over his demonic urges for many centuries.

It had been the worst today during their supper. Seeing her little pink tongue dart out now and then, getting a bit of stray sauce from the pasta, tortured him as nothing else had. He had begun to imagine that tongue on different parts of his body, giving him absolution from the desire coursing through him. Her light laughter only hardened him further; soon he realized that he had bent the spoon he was holding into some weird interpretation of a pretzel. Stiffly, he excused himself from the makeshift dinner and, sending her a slightly baleful glare, had retreated to his office like a pup licking his wounds.

Softly, he sighed.

Madness, utter madness.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Kagome lay in her bed that night, the last withering look Sesshoumaru had given her still in her mind. He really didn't like her, and the thought made her feel melancholy. Even after spending only one night next to him, some deep part within her hoped that he would be beside her tonight. Everything seemed safer when he was around.

Rolling over to her stomach, she let out a frustrated sound. She was sounding like some love-besotted fool. She didn't even know if she liked _him_. He was arrogant, rude, condescending, and she could sense something deadly lurking beneath the façade of a man. Yet, she sensed he had this reluctant tenderness about him, and he was fiercely protective. And possessive, she thought wryly. She respected his power, but she really didn't know the man. But still… that didn't keep her from longing for his presence.

Suddenly she was overcome with exhaustion, the last two days taking their toll on her, finally catching up with her tired body. Sighing, she fell asleep, wishing there was a warm, lean body behind her, with two clawed hands with magenta stripes wrapped firmly around her waist…

_She was a child again, playing with a little straw doll her mother had given her, alone in the courtyard of the school. She hummed softly in the fading sunlight, not noticing the shadows slowly growing longer. She didn't wonder why she was at school at night, or why she was in the body of her childhood; one tends to forget such questions when they're dreaming. _

"_Hello."_

_She stopped humming and looked up at the shadow that blocked the sun. She couldn't make out his face._

"_Hello." She smoothed the hair of her doll calmly._

"_Are you here by yourself?" The stranger matched her calm._

"_Yes." She stood up, holding her doll, and looked at the stranger. His face was still obscure, completely shadowed against the reds and oranges of the darkening sunlight._

"_Where is your mommy?"_

"_I don't know," she replied candidly. "It seems like she should be around somewhere, doesn't it?"_

"_Since she's not around, would you like to come with me until she finds you? I have many dolls that I think you would like."_

_She laughed a little. "What are you doing with dolls?"_

"_I think they are beautiful. Like you are. I think I have one that looks just like you, in fact."_

_Kagome was intrigued. "Really?"_

_She saw the stranger nod. "Really. I can show her to you."_

_She frowned. "I don't know. How will my mommy find me?"_

_She couldn't see, but she could tell that the stranger smiled. "Mommies know a lot about their children. She'll know where you are." He held out a hand. "Will you come with me?"_

_She hesitated. She didn't trust this stranger; it seemed like the shadows were growing around him but, before she could help herself, she heard herself saying, "All right. Show me the doll."_

_She placed her hand innocently in his, and had to fight off a shudder. She didn't understand why she didn't pull away from him._

_The scene changed to a dump yard, smelly and pungent in the late heat of the day. Immediately, Kagome pulled back._

"_Mister, I don't like this place."_

"_What's not to like?" he asked smoothly. "I found all of my dolls here. This place is just like a hidden treasure mine."_

"_Really?" Her voice was dubious. "Where are the dolls?"_

"_Just around the corner. I know you'll love them. I worked hard to get them and make them nice for you."_

"_Just for me? Why?"_

"_Because I've been waiting for you."_

_Kagome, who had been edging closer to the corner, stopped and looked back. Night was coming in faster, and all she could see was the silhouette of the man. "Waiting for me?"_

"_Just for you."_

"_Why?" Innocence coated her voice even as she knew something was wrong._

"_Because, Kagome, you are special."_

"_Special? How do you know my name?"_

"_Because one of my dolls is named Kagome. She's the one who looks like you. Go look at her, she's waiting."_

_Turning around, Kagome continued walking forward. It was black now, and her surroundings faded away as she rounded the corner._

_And screamed. _

_And screamed, and screamed, and kept screaming._

_Her adult body was lying broken, torn, and bloody on top of a pile of countless other lifeless bodies, all of their eyes focused on her. She met her own blue-eyed gaze, eerily blank and glassy as she screamed. The pile of people below her adult body was every single victim she had been inside when they died._

_As her shrieks rang throughout the dark space, she heard the now disembodied voice of the stranger ask, "Aren't they lovely?" _

"Kagome!"

She was jerked awake by a pair of strong hands, warm on her cold and trembling body. Opening her eyes, she was relieved to see the intense golden gaze of Sesshoumaru, and refrained from throwing herself in his arms.

As she woke up completely, she realized what had happened and who had witnessed it, and fought the rising hysteria that came along with it. Although it almost physically hurt her to do it, she tore herself away from his hands. Her only thought was the increasing panic that was filling her mind at the realization that he witnessed another weakness in her.

She saw him reach for her again, and knew she would crumble even more if he touched her right then.

"No! No!" she cried, and instinctively curled into a little ball, feeling miserably and helplessly embarrassed. "I'm fine, it happens all the time. Just go away."

For a moment there, as she peeked between her eyelashes, she could have sworn he looked the slightest bit uncertain. "Did you have another vision? Are you hurt?" His voice was sharp as he questioned her.

Taking a deep breath, she fought the feeling of helplessness and sat up slowly, not meeting his gaze. "Honestly, it wasn't a vision. Just a simple nightmare."

"Define 'simple,' miko," he said coolly. "Because that sure as hell didn't look simple." He paused. "You were screaming."

She didn't like the way his gaze never moved from her; it made her feel exposed and everything she felt as a child came back. _Freak._ _Abomination._ _Cursed._ "What did you expect? That I could see what I see, feel what I feel, and then think to have a normal life outside of catching monsters?" She gave a bitter laugh. "There is no part of me that is not affected by the visions, even my normal dreams. I was just revisiting an old one I haven't had in a long time."

Truly, now that she was focused, she remembered that she'd had that same dream many years ago, right after the apprehension of a particularly vicious demon. That demon had said he was going to come after her one day, and her dreams manifested his threat, making her into a vulnerable child, helpless to fight back. She tried to control her trembling and her shivers.

Through her misery, she saw him bend down, taking off his shoes and socks and setting them in a corner, before taking off his jacket and laying it in a chair.

"What are you doing?"

He sent her a slightly annoyed glare. "What does it look like, miko? I'm getting ready for bed."

"You aren't sleeping in here," she said, trying unsuccessfully to keep her voice from shaking. But he seemed determined as he climbed into bed and hauled her up beside him, fitting her head under his chin.

"Shut up," he said, mildly.

She made a noise suspiciously like a growl, and he felt his libido go into overdrive in an instant. To distract himself, he quickly said, "Look, for tonight, I can give us both comfort. Just take it and go to sleep. You can yell at me in the morning."

Huffing slightly, trying to ignore his seductive heat and arousing scent, she wanted to have the last word.

"Fine. Just don't get mad at me if you jump me again like you did this morning."

She had the satisfaction of feeling him stiffen before she closed her eyes, a smile on her face.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

LISTEN UP!!!! It has come to my attention that this story was nominated in the "BEST DRAMA" category, and has been seconded as well in the IYFG second quarter voting. Thank you so much! I didn't expect people to really like this story because it is my feel good story and not really in character most of the time, even though I try. I know its taking me a long time to update chapters, but that's because I didn't really know where this story was going.

Guess what?

Now I do! I have a direction for this story now, and because of the nominations, I'm getting really excited about producing more. There are a few things the readers can do for me:

Vote for this story when the voting begins on IYFG. I haven't won an award there yet (only on A Single Spark, which was amazing) and I would consider it an honor.

Review, review, review. You have no idea how reviews inspire me, and I appreciate each and every one.

Be patient with me. I'm taking 16 units next semester (one being biology, which is not my strongest suit; I'm an English major) and working every day and teaching a Saturday Academy English class as well to high school students. Plus, I might need to get a second job. If I don't get out chapters as fast as I normally do, believe me, I will be trying, but it won't always be possible.

I hope you've enjoyed this chapter, and I've already done the beginning of the next one so hopefully you won't have to wait long!

Until then,

Mujitsu


	5. The Diary

(A/N: Yes, it's been a while. Yes, a lot of you are probably mad, and yes, a lot may have lost interest in this story. However, a lot of you may be new to it, enjoy it, and can only accept that I will not let 3+ months go by without updating again. All I can say is that life sucks sometimes. However, I do have to acknowledge that without my beta, Wiccan, this story wouldn't even continue to be online. I would have given up on this story a while ago if it wasn't for her commenting that so many other people needed to find out what happens next, including her. So, Wiccan, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. Enjoy)

Visions

Chapter Five

The Diary

Kagome didn't realize how erotic it was to feel someone breathing down the back of her neck. Hell, she hadn't even known she could use the word 'erotic' and have it apply to something in her life. However, having six feet and four inches of warm, solid, virile, _male_ TaiYoukai fitting her into the cradle of his body, and having his hot breath stir the little hairs at the nape of her neck, was making her pretty damn squirmy.

She hadn't even known she could _be_ squirmy, let alone have this driving urge to turn around in his arms and run her teeth over the muscles on his chest that she didn't have a chance to explore as much as she wanted to yesterday morning. She was not a prude; she knew about the physical act of sex and its supposed appeal, even if she'd never participated in the actual event. A sex education class in high school, a hasty and stuttering explanation by her mother when she was fourteen and started her monthlies, and even reading one or two cheesy romance novels had taught her all she needed to know about sex. She had always wondered, though, in an absentminded sort of way, what it would feel like to have a man inside her. However, her life was not a normal life; all of those wonderings had been pushed aside by murder, torture, and blood.

As she had grown more into adulthood, she had quite simply come to the conclusion that she was not a sexual being. She did not inspire lust in anyone, thanks to the fact that her lifestyle of capturing vicious murderers and being killed - figuratively, of course - in her visions was not a real turn on. Nor was lust inspired in her. She had just resigned herself to never feeling the steamy passion and burning desire that had been described so painstakingly in those old romance novels, and moved on with her chaotic, abnormal life.

But now, every inhale and exhale from the demon behind her made her uncomfortably aware that, yes, these feelings existed within her, and yes, she could feel them with a vengeance. And now it had her fidgeting. Worse yet, when the clawed hands wrapped firmly around her waist tightened unconsciously to keep her still, all she could think of was that if he just moved those dangerous fingertips just a little lower, just a few inches…

_Oh, God, _she thought, as she bit back a whimper. She was going to self-combust.

She froze when his hands tightened again, drawing her back more firmly against his warm body and heard, or rather felt, a growl rumbling in his chest. Dear Lord, that just turned her on more! She stayed completely still, thinking that she had woken him up, but a very faint moan reached her ears. She stopped breathing when she felt a part of him begin to harden and lengthen against her rear, then her breath whooshed back out with realization.

That damn connection was sending her arousal to him, and now he was being turned on by her thoughts in his sleep.

_That's it,_ she thought as her face reddened with mortification. She had to get away from him before her curiosity got the better of her. Preferably before she reached back to explore the very prominent and well-endowed piece of flesh she knew she'd find between his thighs. In addition, the thought that she knew that it would cause him to be putty in her hands almost caused her to melt.

She moved to get up, but found herself pressed more tightly against him. "Stay," he rumbled in a voice that she knew suggested he wasn't awake. She retuned against to her place against him, feeling the quick tension that had gathered in him dissolve, and smiled a bit to herself. She was still hot and bothered but, while he may not like her or want her around when he was awake, at least she knew his subconscious wanted her.

Now it was up to her to decide if she wanted to make him want her beyond that. Thinking of the possibilities, she fell into a peaceful slumber.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

It fascinated him to no end that he'd had another restful night wrapped up around her. He didn't want to feel at peace around her, damn it, he wanted to find her revolting like most other females of his acquaintance. But, no, he had to wake up with her smelling fucking delicious and so hard it hurt. Without saying a word, he got up and walked forcefully out of the room. He did _not_ storm out; that it was beneath him. He was just getting his point across.

_Right._

But when the door shut behind him with a distinctive and damning slam, and the surprisingly arousing sound of her low laughter followed behind him, he scowled. Damn female.

He was getting fed up with this damn connection. The idea that he had no control over this situation was starting to make him feel caged in. It was not a feeling he relished and it was high time he decided to do something about it.

He needed to get away from her for a day. Just one day without her and then he would see if this connection was really unbreakable.

His plan formed, he set out to inform his team of what to do in his absence.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

She was going to kill him when he got back. Already her miko powers were tingling in anticipation, waiting for just one chance to rip into her arrogant, stubborn, 'Mr. Thinks-He-Knows-It-All-Friggin'-Bloody-Chosen-One.'

She had felt it the minute she left the building, a gut-wrenching, blinding sense of panic that he was gone forever filled her in nano-seconds, taking her breath away. She had hopped up out of the bed and ran to the breakroom, where the others were gathering for breakfast.

"Where is he?" she demanded, trying to stop her heart from beating out of her chest. She knew what a sight she must have been, standing there wild eyed and hair flying every direction, but at that moment she just didn't care.

It was Sango who answered, keeping her voice hesitant. "He took the list that we have gathered of all of the soul-sucking demons in this area. I assume that he is going to check them out. He said that he wouldn't be back until nightfall."

"Nightfall," Kagome repeated dumbly, and then let out a string of curses at which even the unflappable Miroku lifted his eyebrows. No doubt he hadn't thought she even knew those words. When she paused to suck in a breath, it hit her.

He had left her alone.

The rest of the team watched in horrified fascination as the fight seemed to just droop out of her, leaving her looking much like a lost waif. Although her conscious told her that he had just left for the day, something completely normal, her heart was screaming that he was proving to himself that he could live without her around. What was to stop him from not coming back?

Silently, she turned and went back to her room, her head spinning with thoughts and her heart aching. By the time noon had came around, her sorrow and loneliness had slowly been taken over by anger. How dare he leave her, knowing what it would do to her? Kaede had told him that it would be uncomfortable not to be around each other.

Well, she hoped he was happy making her pretty damn uncomfortable, because it had felt like she couldn't breathe around the lump in her throat for half of the day. Let him make the stupid little point she knew he was trying to prove to himself; she didn't want anything to do with a selfish bastard like him. She didn't ask that he be her Chosen One! She was stuck in it just as much as he was and, if he thought it was all up to him to make the decision to try to make their situation work, he was in for a rude surprise. She had felt the pangs of frustration and unwanted longing coming from him as well, all day, so she knew she wasn't the only one affected.

Stupid males and their _stupid_ pig-headedness.

She was not there so that he could experiment on his retarded emotions that he tried to pretend he didn't have. She didn't want to be in this _stupid_ situation, having these _stupid_ visions about this _stupid_ killer, having to stay in this _stupid_ building that was making everyone crazy to be confined in, dealing with the _stupid_ emotions that she had to feel all because he was her _stupid_ Chosen One.

Right then, she made a decision. She would stay in the city until the case was over, but she sure as hell wasn't going to stay around him a moment longer than she had to. Even though her heart protested that, when all she really wanted to do right this minute was just see him, she convinced her brain that she wanted to pulverize him. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her whimpering at the door, waiting for him to come back.

If he wanted her, really wanted her, then he would have to find her.

She was _so_ sick of people who didn't want her.

Smiling grimly, she began to pack.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

_Failure left a bitter taste in his mouth._

_For months he had prowled this pitiful city looking for the one worthy enough to bring him redemption. Night after night, his anger grew until he could barely see because of it, yet his efforts still produced nothing._

_Once again, he cursed the ones that had put him in this position. If it weren't for their ignorance and stupidity, he wouldn't be here._

_Even the blood wasn't enough to satisfy him. His companion, maybe, but never him. Each soul he had taken had given him strength, but not enough. It was never enough._

_So he would kill until he found enough._

_And then take his vengeance._

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"Where is she?"

The deep voice startled Sango, all the more dangerous for the soft-spoken way it was said, but she managed to keep a straight face. She turned toward Sesshoumaru while Inuyasha and Miroku looked on in avid interest.

"Sesshoumaru-sama. Did you find anything of interest from the demons you met with today?"

Amber eyes hardened in an icy glare that set her danger senses tingling. He was not a very happy TaiYoukai right now.

"They were all dead, old, feeble, or inept. Where is she?"

"Who?"

Those intimidating eyes narrowed on her more, and even Inuyasha drew in a sharp breath in warning.

"Oh, Kagome? She's gone."

"I can see that. Where did she go?"

"Do you really care?" Sango shot back, and prayed they wouldn't be her last words. Sesshoumaru looked in no mood to play games. He actually looked haggard, a look she would have never associated with him; also a bit resigned. Once she got past the death glare, she realized that he looked just as bad as Kagome did before she announced that she was going to stay in the hotel she had resided in before she met them and that, if Sesshoumaru asked for her, he could just find her on his own. Since Sango had grown really fond of the little miko and increasingly frustrated at her dense boss, she was in complete agreement.

Sesshoumaru took a step forward, but she held her ground. His youki was grating on her, which meant that he was _really_ hostile, because she didn't have any spiritual powers to sense them.

"She's at the hotel a few blocks away," Miroku said calmly. "Perhaps you could go and make sure she's safe and secure?"

The words were barely out of the monk's mouth before Sesshoumaru was back out the door. He watched in mild amusement as Sango rounded on him as soon as the door shut.

"Miroku! Why did you give away her position?"

"My dear Sango, can't you see?"

She sullenly pouted, trying to fight the blush that was rising in her cheeks at the use of "my dear." "See what? He deserves to suffer a little for what he's been doing to her."

"Oh, but he has. Didn't you see him?"

"I've never really seen Sesshoumaru like that," Inuyasha said, his voice a bit dumbfounded.

"They need each other," Miroku said matter of factly. "And I think that his absence from her today has started to prove that to him. He hasn't quite accepted it yet, but I'm sure Kagome will make him come around in no time. I saw no need to make them both suffer any longer. The sooner they are in each others company, the better for all of us."

"I still say you let him get off easy."

"On the contrary. He still has to deal with Kagome."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

She shouldn't have been surprised that he found her so quickly. It was the thought that ran through her mind first as she could sense the irate TaiYoukai close in on her location. He would be walking through the door any minute. She clasped her trembling hands together as she faced the door to give herself a false sense of security.

Of course, he was one of the most skilled, if not _the_ most skilled demon in the world, so tracking her should have been a piece of cake. Or else someone had sold her out.

She couldn't help but laugh a little. The traitors.

All humor left her face however, when the door to her room opened silently and, just as soundlessly, closed behind Sesshoumaru. Her gaze traveled over his feet, up his legs and torso, putting off looking at his face for as long as she could.

It didn't help. A tiny helpless sound escaped her as she made contact with his eyes, and the full impact of everything she was feeling, as well as what he was feeling, crashed down around her.

He had _left _her, damn it, yet it felt like a part of her had come home when she drank in his features, which had become so beloved to her in such an absurd amount of time. Her agony at being left alone, her loneliness, her fury, and her thrill at seeing him once more, standing no more than five feet in front of her, overwhelmed her already frayed senses, but that wasn't what scared her.

Oh no, it was _his_ emotions that scared her the most. His face was completely impassive. It could have been made from stone, in fact, but it was his eyes that told her everything. His rage was at the forefront, followed by a weariness that she didn't want to try to explain, then a quieting in his soul as soon as she was in his sight.

A strange stillness enveloped her as he took a step towards her, then another. She wanted to run. She wanted to stay. But, for the life of her, she couldn't do anything as he finally came to a stop no more than a few inches from her. All the while, his tawny eyes were locked on her, and now she could feel heat coming off him in waves; could feel his anger more palpably up close. She could sense he was about to move and closed her eyes, expecting to feel his razor-sharp claws ripping into her flesh for disobeying him, for not staying where he had placed her. Her breath froze in her lungs.

Then softly, so softly, she felt the smoothness of his cheek graze hers, rubbing in a disarmingly affectionate gesture. She let her breath out on a faint half-sob and opened her eyes. He drew back slightly, but still close enough that she could feel his breath against her face. It was not anger she saw in his eyes now, though. This was something hotter, more powerful, and it set off a yearning in her body that almost had her swaying towards him. Gathering her wits, she resisted.

"Why are you here?" she asked, her voice surprising her in its steadiness. That quickly, his eyes hardened and went cold again. He took a few steps back, as if he couldn't be near her in that moment.

He began pacing the tiny room in front of her while she just watched him. She could sense the turbulent emotions coming from him and the way he moved reminded her of a big game hunter who missed out on a kill. But she also knew that he rarely, if ever, gave into restless, unnecessary movements. It looked like he was gearing himself for a fight.

She straightened her shoulders. Good. She was ready to give him one.

All the while, the connection between them seemed to throb with all of the feelings coursing through it. Anger, lust, hope, frustration, helplessness. What emotions belonged to who, neither of them knew. Suddenly, he whirled around and pointed a tapered, clawed finger at her.

"You left," he accused.

"You left first," she returned evenly, trying not to let him see how much he had hurt her. His jaw clenched, but she wasn't finished. "And I hope you found the answer you were looking for, because I'm sick of your self-righteous bullshit. You don't want me? Fine! I'll stay away from you until the case is solved, then you'll never see me again."

His eyes flashed at her and he took a quick step forward. Then he stopped and let out a low, mirthless laugh. "Not want you? I couldn't breathe for half of the day for wanting you."

The simple way he said it made her heart clench. "You don't want to want me," she countered. "There's a difference."

His eyes grew shuttered and his face transformed into something mysterious. "Perhaps."

This time it was she who laughed. "Perhaps? There's no _perhaps _about it, Sesshoumaru. You had a choice; to accept me or deny me. You made that choice today when you left." She was fighting hard not to let tears enter her voice. "So, now I'll make it easy for you. You go back to headquarters, and I'll stay here. You can have your life back."

She turned away, but he grabbed her arm in a move she couldn't see and whirled her around to face him, his eyes fierce. "Are you that willing to go back to insanity?"

She wrenched her arm away from him, unable to handle his touch. "It's better than being in a one-sided relationship for the rest of my life," she said quietly, and he could hear the truth in her voice.

She heard him sigh softly and watched warily as he walked to the bed and sat on the edge, his hands hanging between his knees as he focused on her. The silence stretched on until she had to fight the urge to fidget. "What are you still doing here?" she asked, trying to keep the nerves from her voice. "You don't have to stay around me anymore. You can go."

"No, I don't think I will," he said, his eyebrows furrowed together in a contemplative mask. A smile almost twitched on his lips at the look on her face. She really was quite cute when she was befuddled, and something inside had sighed in recognition when he was in her presence once more. She turned him on, twisted him up, and made him more comfortable - and uncomfortable - than anyone else. He found himself speaking before he could really stop himself. "I didn't ask for this situation; I was resentful of the fact that my choices were being taken away from me. I wanted to choose my own mate, if there was such a woman out there, not have one fall easily into my lap. The connection was suspicious to me, especially the way it made me feel. My control was slowly being eaten away."

"And that scared you," she said as a statement. She had unconsciously taken a step closer to him once he started speaking, willing to let him get it out.

"Made me wary," he countered. "I left this morning to test myself and my control. I didn't take into account how you would feel about it, or how much it would affect me. If you felt half of what I went through today, I apologize." His gaze locked on hers and she nodded slightly, her throat tight. She was faintly surprised that he was revealing this much of himself - she could tell he was too. But she wasn't about to stop him.

He looked away again. "When I was very young, I ran wild. I fought as much as I could to gain experience and power. I found pleasure in any female I found attractive." Kagome made an indistinct noise in the back of her throat, much like an angry growl, and he found his lips twitching again. His little miko could feel jealousy.

"I eventually learned that the truly powerful could tame their emotions and lock them away." He paused, slanted a glance at her, then added wickedly, "And that my passion should remain only for my future mate." She made a slight choking noise and he was pleased. Her temperature went up, his following easily along. This time, instead of resenting it, he let himself relish it.

Then you came and tore every ideal out of my head, turning my world upside down. I act in ways that I don't normally act, and feeling things that I don't want to feel because they are so powerful." His head dropped down a little in a sign of exhaustion. "I don't know how this will work out, and I should warn you right now to not expect any feelings of love, because I don't believe I can give them."

"Fair enough," she murmured, knowing that he was wrong but, as long as he was willing to give her a chance… "Are you looking for a partnership, then?"

"I don't know," he said again, closing his eyes as if the words pained him. "All I know is that, if I have to go through another day like today, I'll kill something."

Her heart broke a little for him, but she couldn't help but be amused by that statement. He was so unused to emotions that he didn't even know how to express what he wanted. She would have been surprised at the thoughts running through his head. He had come to a conclusion that day... he never denied himself what he wanted and he went after it with all the grace of a methodical hunter. And he realized that he wanted her. To his mind, that was all that mattered. This gave him back a measure of control. If he couldn't control fate, he could at least control their present circumstances. Once he got past all of his hang-ups, he realized the benefits to having her around, seeing if she was compatible as a mate.

That was why his youki agreed wholeheartedly when she stepped up to him and wrapped her arms around his head. His mouth was conveniently located at her breasts, and he took advantage, grabbing her in his arms and nuzzling. He could feel her heartbeat pounding frantically, as if she was unsure of her welcome, so he made a low sound of approval, one he knew he would never be able to make in public, and sighed.

Kagome wondered if he realized how desperately he was holding onto her, as if he couldn't stand an inch of their skin not touching. She had gone to him out of instinct, knowing that he had practically bared his soul to her, and wanting to comfort. A split second later she realized her mistake. His warm breath touched her chest through her thin shirt and she held back a shudder. In response, he rubbed his cheek against her and almost had her knees buckling.

"Sesshoumaru?" she asked in a voice she barely recognized.

"Hmm?" Although he made a noise in response, he took advantage of the opportunity to inhale deeply, and he almost groaned. Having her so close to him, knowing that she wasn't going to move away, that at least some of their problems were solved, wasn't making him inclined to move anytime soon. Instead, he wanted to lick every inch of skin that was in reach of his mouth, then reach inside her shirt and cup her softness to see if they fit as perfectly as he thought they would in his hands.

The erection he'd been sporting ever since he smelled her outside the hotel room, which never seemed to go away whenever he was in her presence, throbbed impatiently, making him aware that it had been a long, _long_ time since he'd allowed himself release within a female. Or been anywhere close to intimate with a female for that matter. It was the one thing he had missed once he had made the decision to not allow himself to feel unnecessary emotion - the feel of a female. Inuyoukai, although circumspect in their partners, were naturally affectionate creatures, and he had several centuries of pent-up lust stored inside him. He wondered idly if Kagome would be able to handle all of him, now that he had decided to at least try to make this situation work.

"Sesshoumaru?" Kagome tried again but, as she looked down at his silver head, she realized he didn't have any intention of moving anytime soon. She wanted to bury her fingers in his hair, but instead gave the strands a sharp tug. His eyes narrowed on her as he looked up and moved back minutely… not enough to give her the type of peace of mind she needed right now. He looked like his toy had just been taken away, and the thought almost made her smile.

"What?" he asked, as he sensed her nervousness.

"I… ah, I'm really glad you decided to try to work this out with me, but I…"

"You?" he prompted.

"Look, it's just weird going from one extreme to the other. This morning, you didn't want to touch me, and now… Well, now it feels like you're going to eat me up."

He almost grinned at that innocent phrase from her. Eat her, indeed.

"It's just strange to me, okay? I've never really, well, done anything with a guy - don't you dare smile now, you big jerk, I'm trying to get out something important here!" She waited until the small, pleased smirk left his face before she continued, "Like I was saying, I don't have any experience, and I don't know what you are going to expect from me. I know the bond will help me out there, but I don't want to just jump in the sheets with you, you know? Can't we… I don't know... get to know each other better first? Before we do anything life changing?"

His eyes narrowed on her once more; he could smell her apprehension. She was truly nervous about asking him to wait. As he thought about her request, he didn't find it unreasonable. If he waited this long for her, he could wait a little bit more. But not too long. He wanted her more than he could ever remember wanting anything. If she wanted to be more comfortable with him first, so be it. It would give him more time to court her properly, though he still wasn't sure where this all would lead.

"Whatever you need," he answered her, and wondered if he would be able to keep himself from jumping on her in the meantime.

He could feel a distinct sense of relief emanating from her, as well as contentment when he gathered her loosely in his arms again, just cradling her for the moment.

Kagome was still reeling from all of the events that occurred within the last ten minutes. She had gone from a nuisance to a necessity to him, and she couldn't deny that it felt wonderful. Especially now, when he was holding her so tenderly, something she was starting to believe he didn't have in him. She was glad she had been wrong about that part.

She finally buried her fingers in his hair as she had been longing to do, and relished in the pure silk she found there. He seemed to relax even more, and let his cheek rest against her breasts again. While the feeling of lust still pulsed between them, it was a moment of contentment and companionship. Slowly, she ran her fingers over his scalp, scratching lightly in a caress that almost had him shuddering against her. He was more than willing to wait for her if she would just keep touching him like that. The feeling was alien to him, something he hadn't really felt before, even with previous lovers.

Her fingers wandered over the tips of his ears and a bolt of lust shot through him so clearly that, this time, he did shudder. He had to physically restrain his body from grabbing her and throwing her on the bed, a loss of control that brought him back to his senses. He had just given her his word that he wouldn't claim her until she was ready.

He was so wrapped up in her that he didn't realize that he used the word "claim," something only used when a demon was going to take a permanent mate.

Feeling that surge of lust through their connection, Kagome took her fingers off his ears and fought to stand up straight. She backed up slowly, noticing how his glittering eyes followed her, focused on her. Then he blinked, and the look was gone. His control was back.

"It's been a long day," he said, standing up, towering over her. "Why don't you get some sleep?"

"Are you going to be with me?" she asked before she could stop herself. Seeing his raised eyebrow, she explained with embarrassment, "I just don't think I'll be able to sleep without you here, or at least close to me, and…"

"I'll be here. Go change into your sleeping clothes."

Hurriedly gathering a pair of sweats and a tank top, she hustled into the bathroom to change, excited and at peace all at once. He was willing to meet her halfway… now all she had to do was make sure he wanted to meet her all the way. Forever.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

When she stepped out of the bathroom, she saw that he had taken off his shoes and socks, laying them neatly to the side. His shirt was still on, but unbuttoned, and the sleeves were rolled up. He saw her standing nervously in the doorway of the bathroom, looking so young and innocent he had to check his body's reaction to her before he could lift out a hand to her and say, "Come."

Smiling shyly, she placed her hand in his and watched as he swept aside the bedcovers so she could get in. He followed her and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind her, spooning her and covering her with as much of his body as he could. He buried his face in the place where her neck and shoulder met, and she felt, more than heard, him sigh. Tentatively, she placed her hands over his and relaxed, the worry and tension of the day draining away as his body heat warmed her.

She fell asleep to the cadence of his soft breathing and his hard chest moving subtly against her back.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

The next morning dawned clear and bright, and there was a notable lifting of tension at headquarters when Kagome and Sesshoumaru walked in.

"Welcome back, Kagome," Sango said warmly, giving a cursory glance at Sesshoumaru. Miroku noticed this and smiled a bit before walking forward to give Kagome a hug. Sesshoumaru, however, steered her clear of the monk's arms at the last moment and placed her in a chair. "Eat," he said softly, but there was a steely note to his voice.

Satisfied when Kagome picked up an apple, he turned to Shippo. "Where are Inuyasha and Kouga?"

"They're out following a lead they got earlier this morning," the fox demon replied. "They said they would be back later this afternoon."

"They're actually working together?" Kagome asked, a doubtful note in her voice.

"They figured that, Sesshoumaru would either show up in a really bad mood, or a really good mood," Shippo said innocently, buttering up a piece of toast. "They said they really didn't want to be here either way."

Kagome choked a little bit, but Sesshoumaru could feel her amusement through their bond when he saw her blank expression.

"Oh! Kagome, before I forget, a package came for you this morning. It was shipped overnight, so I thought it was important." Shippo handed her a brown package, and Kagome recognized her mentor's spidery writing.

"It's from Kaede," she said, and tore open the wrapping. A leather-bound sheaf of papers appeared, the leather soft, supple, and very old by the looks of it. She handed it to Sesshoumaru to examine while she picked up the letter that fell out with it.

"Dear Kagome," she read aloud. "Enclosed you will find an artifact which I believe you and Sesshoumaru will find very useful in answering your questions about the bond you have with each other. It comes from a very reliable source…" she trailed off and went pale.

"What?" Sesshoumaru asked immediately, coming to her side.

"It's the diary of the previous miko who found her Chosen One," she whispered, her voice shaking only slightly. "The only miko who survived the curse."


	6. Stories

This is an edited version that the lovely Wiccan has done for me. Chapter Seven will be up soon, I promise. I know everyone has waited a long time for it, and your patience has been amazing!

Chapter Six

Stories

_The dreams continue to haunt me._

_It is agony to shut my eyes knowing what fate awaits me in these night time terrors; the odor of foul breath, the pain of claws and teeth, and the stench of blood have become companions I know all too well._

_Springtime has come to the village that lies beyond the ancient God Tree, and the people there are filled with a renewed spirit of life that I envy. I feel only death._

_Even the solitary youkai that is terrorizing the outer boundaries of the village cannot dim their happiness, but I feel his presence most acutely. He has killed me every night this moon cycle. Or perhaps I am already dead._

_This youkai, a snake this time, takes particular pleasure in children, abducting the orphaned ones roaming around in the forest. Last night, I was a little girl, no more than ten summers, looking for a tree to sleep under for shelter. There was a little boy too, her younger brother, I'm assuming, who held onto her skirt until he was ripped away by the demon._

_I didn't know such a small body could hold so much blood. It painted the ground in crimson puddles, the splattering of liquid against solid surface the only sound in the night. He didn't have a chance to scream._

_But the little girl did. She screamed for hours and hours. My throat still has a phantom sting of memory and the shrieks of laughter from the children of the village today make me shudder. I can not stand to be around the young ones now. The memories of last night are still too vivid in my mind._

_Instead I will hunt._

_The little girl was still clinging to life when the snake took her back to his lair. I have an idea where the beast hides and I will go to him._

_But I will feel nothing as I purify him out of existence. Not even a sense of justice for those two children whose lives were ended so horribly. I stopped feeling anything the moment I realized there was no relief from these visions; no end to the torment of my life. What does that say about me, that I can no longer feel remorse over human life? Has the cycle of pain and death started to take its toll on me and take away my humanity?_

_I believe them now, those who said insanity was my fate. I'm already fading into its clutches. One day, I will just drift away; the next miko will take my place, and I will be forgotten. The Gods have already forgotten me, otherwise I wouldn't be put through this torment each night. I used to wish for someone to help me, to assist me in carrying this hard burden, but I was sent no one. No one will come for me and liberate me from this prison._

_Death is the only freedom now._

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"She sounds so sad," Shippo commented, and Kagome felt tears well in her eyes.

This miko was describing just what Kagome had begun to feel for herself. The hopelessness, the wanting… the distance she sought by removing herself emotionally. But Kagome could never remove herself emotionally and she suspected that, in the subtle hints of the miko's writing, the unknown woman was unable to completely distance herself from the carnage she experienced. Why write about them if she truly felt nothing? This was the miko's last hope at being remembered, the journal Kagome held in her hands the last testament of someone who felt completely isolated. Sesshoumaru shifted slightly so he was standing right behind her; she could feel his body heat, and it gave her strength.

"These journal entries have no dates," Kagome said in a business-like voice, flipping through the ancient pages. "The paper is very old, however, and the language is slightly archaic. So are the surroundings she mentions. I'm assuming this is several centuries ago."

She looked up, catching Sesshoumaru's eye, and he nodded. "The papers I found in our ancient library refer to a time long before the feudal era."

Kagome could sense the questions about to rain down around them from the others, so she quickly said, "I'm sure this will be a beneficial thing for us, however, it does not pertain to our case, so Sesshoumaru and I will look over it tonight."

She saw Sango give a disappointed moue, and fought to not smile. "Did Inuyasha and Kouga give any more information about the lead they received?"

"No, just that they would be back later," Miroku said. "However, the autopsy report on the victim is in, and the Medical Examiner said that he would like to speak with Sesshoumaru regarding some of the issues you contacted him about."

Sesshoumaru nodded at that. "Fine, we'll do that today. Sango, you, Miroku, and Shippo will follow up on the rest of the soul demons I did not get around to yesterday. Kagome and I will head for the ME's office and then the police department to brief them. We'll meet back here tonight."

There was a chorus of agreements and, in short order, everyone headed out to their destinations for the day.

It was time to find a killer.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"What did you need to discuss with the Medical Examiner?" Kagome asked curiously as Sesshoumaru opened the car door for her before heading around the hood to the driver's seat.

"The ME is a soul demon," Sesshoumaru said, starting up the engine with a roar and pulling into traffic. Kagome noticed that he drove the way he lived; with control. His hands smoothly changed gears and were loose on the steering wheel, effortlessly weaving in and out of the cars. She took a moment to admire those hands before pulling her mind back to the conversation. She looked up at him when she saw that he was already looking at her, a slight tug of amusement coming from him through their connection. She flushed and blurted out, "A soul demon? Are we going to investigate him, then?"

He shook his head in the negative. "I've already checked him out, and he didn't lie to me. I would have smelled it. Still, he can tell us for sure if the soul was indeed taken, and maybe the method in which it was taken."

"That helps, but not much, Kagome responded. "We honestly don't have a lot to go on with this guy, and it's starting to bother me. So far, I've only seen his little lackey kill, we don't have a solid motive, and there is no scent, aura, or other physical evidence to point us in any type of direction. Basically, he's screwing us over."

"Your optimism is simply awe-inspiring," he said dryly, surprising a short laugh from her. It felt good, seeing her smile. He had a feeling it was an action she attempted far too little. It made her face light up and change from beautiful to exquisite. Alive. The way her plump lips stretched into an expression of pleasure… maybe not the kind of pleasure he preferred, but pleasure nonetheless. His blood began heating, and he welcomed it. He would welcome anything he could get from her, a thought which would have disturbed him yesterday. Today, he didn't mind so much.

He slid a look at her from the corner of his eyes and found a delightful flush on her cheeks. Smiling inwardly, he turned his attention back to the road. The rest of the ride was spent in comfortable silence until they arrived at the very clinical looking lab of the Medical Examiner. With his hand at the small of her back, he led her into the offices and flagged down a young man in scrubs who was walking down the hall.

"We need to see Dr. Roku," Sesshoumaru said.

The worker couldn't have been over the age of twenty-five, and very average-looking - brown hair, brown eyes, medium build - basically forgettable. He took a moment to look Sesshoumaru and Kagome up and down, like he was sizing them up.

"I'm a little busy," said the man, looking at Sesshoumaru with veiled contempt.

Kagome knew, without a second thought, that he was a youkai hater, one of the ones who believed in human supremacy. Wars between demon and humans had been fought since the beginning of time. At first, humans were seen as the weaker race, without the strength, abilities, and instincts that demons were blessed with. Humans thought that demons were Kami's plague on mankind; little more than beasts who would kill without a second thought. While both sides may have had a kernel of truth to their reasoning, many innocent demons and humans were caught in the fray.

Demons, of course, had the advantage with their speed, strength, and cunning, at least until humans entered the age of weapons of mass destruction. That made it anyone's ball game. Both demons and humans realized eventually that peace had to be made between the two races or they would eventually kill each other off. That's when the negotiations began. It took over a hundred years for peace to be reached, under the condition that humans controlled the government. Demons were allowed to keep their birthrights, thus the fact that Sesshoumaru was still a TaiYoukai. Still, he, and other powerful demons like him were kept under a watchful eye… basically because the human "government" knew that someone like Sesshoumaru was only _allowing _them the illusion of control. Tensions remained high in some areas, and there were still some extremists who thought that their race was the only one that should have power.

People like that disgusted her, and she could feel that Sesshoumaru agreed with her. He just continued to stare at the man without blinking, and the man had to fight the urge to squirm. Despite his opinions, he wasn't about to argue with an almost seven foot tall demon, no matter how much he hated them. He finally said curtly, "He's in the back. Follow me."

They followed, Kagome shooting him dirty looks the whole time. They reached swinging metal doors and the man in scrubs entered before them yelling, "Soul sucker! Someone to see you."

Kagome bit down a reprimand to the disrespectful man but he soon left and a surprisingly young looking demon exited from behind a screen. He had very dark hair that was tied back in a low ponytail and eyes that didn't seem to have a difference between pupil and iris. They were completely black.

"Sesshoumaru-sama," the new youkai said respectfully, and made a small bow. His gaze turned to Kagome, but Sesshoumaru quickly spoke up.

"Roku, I was told you had some information for me."

The soul demon stared at her for another heartbeat before turning to look at the TaiYoukai. "Yes. I don't know how important it will be to your case, but I found something interesting about all of the victims once you asked me about the souls. As you suspected, all of them had their souls stolen from them at the moment of death, but the extraction of the souls is what I wanted to discuss with you."

"Extraction?" Kagome asked, her curiosity getting the better of her. "How are souls usually extracted?"

Those eerie black eyes locked with hers and she felt as if she were being sucked into a dark pool where there was no surface. However discomfiting the feeling, she held his gaze. The doctor looked at her seriously as he explained, "In a normal, non-hostile soul demon, they will simply take the souls of those who have died recently, whether the elderly or sick, as it is passing to the afterlife. The soul will reside in the demon, where he will be sustained on its strength for a few years, depending upon the strength of the soul."

"What happens to the soul once the demon is through with it?" Kagome asked.

"The soul slowly loses strength as the demon feeds off it, and will eventually wither away. It will die." He noticed Kagome's reaction and responded mildly, "It is the way of the world, young one, however much you wish it not to be so. However, not allowing innocent souls to reach heaven made soul youkai unpopular within society, and there was a law passed. We take the souls of those who are sentenced to death for atrocious crimes, instead of those who have done nothing wrong in this lifetime. However, prejudice continues to remain." He gave a pointed look, and Kagome knew he was referring to the lab assistant they had met before.

He continued with his explanation, "A hostile youkai, whose only goal is to steal power from souls, will purposely take strong victims, torturing them before killing them to create turmoil within the soul. This makes the soul last longer, again, depending upon the strength of the person. A soul feeds off emotions, and fear is one of the strongest. The more fear that person feels before they die, the more powerful their soul is."

"What is so special about the extraction from our victims?" Sessoumaru finally spoke.

"I've looked over each victim carefully, assessing the wave lengths of their remaining auras, and something didn't seem right to me. Based on the evidence, I came up with a tentative theory to explain my findings. Even though this is an educated supposition, I've never seen anything like this happen before, so what I suggest could be wrong."

"However, you think you are right," Sesshoumaru deduced, staring at the soul demon. Roku nodded. "Then we will hear your theory."

The doctor nodded minutely again. "Remember how I said that the souls were extracted as they left the body to pass to the afterlife? No matter how horrible the death, the extraction of the soul is very calm and peaceful. It basically just floats out of the corpse. This is not the case with your victims. If my theory is correct, the souls of your victims were forcibly extracted before they had a chance to leave the body. According to the autopsy reports, and from what I can observe myself, these victims were tortured and mutilated terribly before they died, making their soul very volatile and powerful. This is just a supposition, but I believe that, by ripping the soul out before it was ready to leave the body, the agony and torment produced would increase tenfold."

"Thus making the soul extremely powerful," Kagome concluded, a bit sickened at the thought. "Which then, in turn, makes the demon unimaginably more powerful as well." She turned to look at Sesshoumaru. "A plausible motive, don't you think? Power always is pretty high up on the list of reasons to kill."

Mentally agreeing, Sesshoumaru held his opinion. "Is that all?" Sesshoumaru asked, and Roku nodded. Turning to take their leave, Kagome was drawn back by the doctor's voice.

"Miko."

Turning around with a questioning gaze, she met the eyes of Roku again and suppressed an involuntary shiver. He stared at her for a long moment without speaking, seeming to assess her and debate with himself. Finally, he spoke. "I am no detective, but I have basic reasoning skills. Your perpetrator is looking for those with powerful souls. Take care, Miko. Sooner or later, he will target you."

"Me?" she asked.

He was quiet for another moment before speaking again. "I've lived for centuries, encountered many mikos and holy men, all with very powerful souls. In complete honesty, I've even taken a few of them in the past. However, I've never felt a soul with your power and purity." A beat. "Never."

He spared a brief glance at the impassive Sesshoumaru. "Make sure you are guarded well." With that, he walked past them and left the room, leaving silence in his wake.

"Okay," Kagome said slowly. "That was weird."

"Hn," was Sesshoumaru's only reply. Inside, he was chafing. Although a very logical and cool being, Sesshoumaru was controlled by instinct. It was in his very core to protect his territory and all he considered his. After last night, Kagome was very definitely his. He knew that she was at risk already, but hearing Roku's opinion and assessment did not help his day get better. He was trying to give the young miko some time to get used to him, spending the time he had with her touching her in little ways to get her used to his hands on her. A little touch on the small of her back, her elbow, his presence behind her… all of these would prepare her for the physical acts of possession that the Inu clan practiced. He hadn't had the opportunity in a great long while to satisfy these instincts, and he relished it secretly.

Now, with this added threat over his head, he was hard pressed to keep his dominant nature under control. He doubted his miko would appreciate being locked up in his room, chained to his bed for the remainder of the case until they caught the bastard, although the picture it presented did have him calming down.

Walking down a sterile-looking hallway to the exit, Sesshoumaru noticed the same young man who had escorted them to Dr. Roku studying charts. The youkai hater. Usually people like him were only minor annoyances, beneath his notice and concern. However, when the human male's eyes locked onto the figure of Kagome and lingered, Sesshoumaru's temper flared up quickly, reminding him of how much the little miko affected him.

"Your eyes stray to where they are not wanted, human," he said in a low voice, startling Kagome with its intensity. She flinched and looked to Sesshoumaru, but saw that Sesshoumaru was looking at the jerk from earlier.

The man, whose name-tag read "Haku," glanced at Sesshoumaru and looked about to make a smart-aleck remark back to the stoic face glaring stonily at him. Perhaps in a bit of well-timed self preservation, though, he kept his mouth shut when he sensed the unleashed violence right below the surface of the expressionless mask.

Kagome sensed it as well and, not for the first time, wondered exactly who Sesshoumaru was. As much as she had a connection to him, she didn't really know him. Or what, exactly, he was capable of. She'd heard stories of the fearsome TaiYoukai made of legends, but she would never in a million years imagine herself to be his…

…his what?

Her stomach clenched as she realized that she didn't quite exactly _know_ what she was to him. He was her Chosen One and protector, but she didn't really perform any purpose for him other than make it comfortable on their connection by being around.

She was brought abruptly out of her musings by the sound of knuckles popping, Sesshoumaru's hand twitching slightly. "Sesshoumaru?" she asked questioningly, not fully understanding why he was so agitated. The man had looked at her, so what?

Sesshoumaru's intense gaze slid from the now motionless man to Kagome, sensing her confusion and wariness. Damn it, he didn't want her to be apprehensive because of him. Apparently there were a few things he needed to explain to her about Inu instincts and her place in the scheme of things. Considering the circumstances, it was going to prove to be an interesting conversation. Glaring once more at the impudent human male, he silently began walking towards the door again, Kagome following uncertainly.

It wasn't until they were back in the car that she spoke, as he knew she would.

"You want to tell me what that was all about?"

"Dominance."

She blinked slowly. There was a long, poignant pause. "Dominance."

He took his eyes off of the road long enough to slant a furtive look at her through his lashes. "How much do you know about the practices of canine youkai?"

"I know that they are super predators, usually hunting in packs, although rogue canines are not unheard of… Um, their main weapons are their claws and teeth when they are not in humanoid form, using claws and any other special talents that are passed through their clans when they are not in their demonic form. For example, it is rumored that you are a Master poison user." She chanced a glance at him, and he nodded, curiously wanting to hear the rest of her explanation. It sounded as if she were reciting from some manual.

"When they hunt, either in a pack or rogue, they usually scent their prey and begin to stalk it. They will wait until their prey is cornered and then strike, killing quickly and efficiently. Then the prey will be shared with the rest of the pack." She said this last part with an almost unnoticeable shudder, but Sesshoumaru noticed.

"Are you speaking from personal experience here?" he questioned, rather calmly, he thought.

"I've had to deal with a few canines in my visions," she said honestly and, feeling his displeasure, she attempted to joke, "You guys have really wicked claws, did you know that?"

He held in a growl. "Not amusing. I was speaking in reference to pack behavior when it comes to mates."

"Mates?" she squeaked out, and he hid a smirk. "No, I can't say that I know really anything about that. Remember, I said that Kaede and I had never quite gotten around to that part of my education."

"The concept of a mate is taken quite seriously by any youkai, especially within the canine breeds. A male's chosen female should not be treated with disrespect and possession by the male should not be challenged."

Before Kagome could get her mind around the "chosen female" part she asked, "So what did the guy back there do to challenge you?"

"He was looking at you," Sesshoumaru said lowly, only the slightest hint of a bestial rumble in his voice.

She stared at him, aghast. "So? Geez, Sesshoumaru, people look at me everyday. You can't get mad at everyone."

He stared at her, nonplussed for a slight moment although he didn't let it show. "He was staring at you with lust," he elaborated, and his gaze narrowed.

There was a short span of silence from Kagome before she burst into uncontrollable giggles. "Me? Oh, that's rich! I think maybe this connection must be warping your imagination and you're seeing things now." She laughed again.

"Again, I fail to see how this is amusing," he said, his voice cold. He watched as she regained her composure, wiping moisture from her eyes before she turned to him with a wry expression.

"Sesshoumaru, men don't look at me like that," she said. "Most of the men where I'm from think I'm just a freak, and they avoid eye contact with me. Even if they don't know the rumors about me… well, the honest truth is I'm just not that noticeable." She looked down suddenly and continued on in a very quiet voice. "I actually feel sorry for you. I mean, you could have anyone in the world, but the connection ties you to me…"

"Either you are blind, or more naive than I originally imagined," he said.

Kagome looked at him, startled. He didn't take his eyes off the road, his face composed, although that lovely little tic in his jaw was back. She wanted to run her tongue across it, to feel it twitch even more because he would be gritting his teeth to keep from pouncing on her in the car… Immediately she shook herself from her thoughts. Going from lust repressed to raging hormones was throwing her off kilter. Blushing and trying to hide it, she pressed onward.

"You're angry," she observed. "I can't imagine why. I was only telling the truth. I'm not looking for sympathy or anything. I was just stating a fact. Without this connection, you would never have taken a second glance at me."

The rest of the ride was made in complete silence, although the tension was palpable enough to almost breathe in. He was seething on the inside, and it was all because of the little miko beside him. The incident before with the human male (whom he would dismember later), and now this, did not make for one very happy TaiYoukai. The thing that irked him most was that, in all honesty, she was most likely right.

That had been the reason why he had rejected her in the first place, not wanting to feel such conflicting and strong emotions for someone who otherwise wouldn't gain his attention. But now that he had resolved to accept the fact that the Gods had ordained her to be compatible with him, he was determined to let nothing get in the way, even her warped views of herself.

His mind working at top speed on how to convince the little miko at his side to share his views, he maneuvered his way through traffic. Time, he decided, as he pulled into a parking spot. Time and patience were the keys to getting her to realize that there would now be no other for her and, in turn, for him either. Once he had let all of his misgivings about the connection go, he found himself surprisingly eager to start a relationship with Kagome. The beast within him agreed, its thoughts centered on the comfort and carnal pleasure she could provide for them. He would also use their connection to his advantage, which should prove both interesting and pleasurable.

And the sooner they caught whoever they were looking for, the better it would be.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"Are you sure he's going to be here?" Kouga asked, looking around the small meadow they were in with more than a little doubt. He didn't drive all the way out here with Dog Breath just to find out their informant copped out.

"He'll be here," Inuyasha said. "He can't ignore a direct summons."

"Why, because of the ties to your family?"

Inuyasha spared the wolf a brief grin. "No, it's 'cause he knows how much pain I can cause him without killing him."

A little voice suddenly came from the air. "Inuyasha-sama, threatening me with violence is a direct insult to my honor. You should know better that I, Myouga, would never fail to provide for the Inu no Tashio's direct descendents."

"What the hell?" Kouga asked, looking around. "Where the hell is that coming from?"

A little youkai jumped up and landed on his nose, and the wolf stared cross-eyed at him trying to get a glance at the creature. Suddenly he felt a prick and the creature swelled. "Mmmm, wolf blood is so raw… definitely an acquired taste." This was said right before a clawed hand came up and smacked the offending creature away.

"Did he say he just had a problem with my blood?" Kouga growled out, flexing his claws.

Inuyasha snorted. "Probably. Oi, Myouga, you still alive?"

Kouga noted a little speck on the ground, and realized that it was a very old flea youkai that was sitting up dizzily. "Of course, Inuyasha-sama. It would take more than a swat to get rid of me."

"Don't I know it," Inuyasha muttered before getting on to the business at hand. "Myouga, we need information." Sesshoumaru had called him a few minutes ago with an update from the medical examiner, so now they at least had a more specific idea of who they were looking for. Myouga was an ancient youkai, knowledgeable about many types of youkai, and if he couldn't help figure out who they were after, this case could take a lot longer.

"What kind of information?" the flea said, settling down on a pebble, making himself comfortable.

"We've been after a soul-youkai for a while now, but he seems to have a power that we haven't come across. He leaves no trace behind of anything at the crime scenes; no scent, no tracks whatsoever. No soul-youkai in the city fits the profile… so far."

"What is this mysterious power you mentioned?"

"He can forcefully pull the soul out from his suffering victims," Kouga said grimly. "I think it's safe to assume that only an incredibly powerful youkai could do that, and with age comes power. We need to know if you've ever heard of any soul youkai with that capability."

The old youkai thought for a long moment until Kouga fidgeted in impatience. "I've known of numerous soul youkai, many powerful in their own right, but most of them have been content to be at the right hand of more dominant youkai. Usually they lack emotions, good or bad, content to just stay neutral. They are more likely to be accomplices or, most times, servants, reeled in by the promise of fresh souls. Only in rare cases have they attempted to dominate on their own… however…"

"However?" Inuyasha prompted, fighting the urge to force the flea to remember faster.

"The only other youkai I know that had the ability to forcibly steal a soul from a human was a female named Kanna, who used a mirror to suck out and store a soul," Myouga responded.

As Inuyasha and Kouga both perked up, he dashed their hopes by continuing, "But she was killed several centuries ago; she can't be who you're looking for."

"Damn," Inuyasha muttered. "Dead end."

"Well," Kouga exclaimed after a moment of silence, "We've wasted enough time here as it is. Let's get the hell out of here."

Myouga stopped them before they could turn away, a new light entering his eyes. "If I may, Inuyasha-sama… I might not know of anyone who resembles the demon you are looking for, but I might know someone who could know."

"Really?" Inuyasha asked, his adrenaline beginning to flow.

Myouga nodded thoughtfully. "I'll need to speak with Sesshoumaru-sama first, though, before he will be seen. May I accompany you back to the city?"

Inuyasha whistled. "Whew, now you must really be serious. Actually wanting to stand face to face with Sesshoumaru? I didn't think you had it in you."

Myouga frowned petulantly. "That is uncalled for, Inuyasha-sama."

"Will I have to tie you to a string to make sure you can stand to look Sesshoumaru in the eyes?"

"Inuyasha-sama…." This was accompanied by the most ferocious stare the flea could muster. Still, Myouga gulped internally, despite his chiding. Standing in front of Sesshoumaru's frosty gaze was enough to make him break out in a sweat.

Oh, dear…

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"What are we doing?" Kagome asked as Sesshoumaru pulled into a parking spot on the side of the road in the downtown area.

"We are going to have lunch," Sesshoumaru replied, turning off the car.

"Lunch? But it's still mid-morning. I'm not even hungry."

"You barely ate this morning."

"I ate," she defended. "You saw me eat. You're the one who shoved the food in my face!"

"I saw you take a grand total of three bites. That does not qualify as eating."

"By your standards," she muttered.

He said nothing, only unbuckled her seatbelt and exited the car. He walked around to her side and opened her door, holding out a hand expectantly.

Kagome huffed and gathered her things slowly. "High-handed," she said under her breath and caught his smirk.

"Don't forget that," he said, pointing to the diary she had brought along. She grabbed it, shoving it into her bag before taking his hand.

As she expected, he let go of her hand as soon as they were on the sidewalk. Just by looking at him and what she knew of his personality, Sesshoumaru was not a hand holder. However, she received a little thrill when he placed his hand on her lower back, as he had at the medical examiner's office, keeping her pulled close to his body as they walked. He gently steered her around the people filling up the sidewalk, placing himself between her and the street and, when they reached the restaurant he apparently wanted to eat at, he held the door open for her, remaining a constant presence at her back. It touched her in an odd way, but she tried to keep her emotions in check. Ever since he did his complete 180 degrees when it came to their relationship, she was wary of him. Not that she wasn't wary before, but now she was more wary of losing her heart to the stoic demon who could, at times, be very intimidating, while at other times appearing shockingly vulnerable and sweet in his own arrogant way. Although he _seemed _to be committed to giving their situation a chance, Kagome was dead serious about the conversation they'd had in the car. She knew he was way out of her league and that there was hardly anything stopping him from leaving like he had before if he really wished it. She wasn't holding her breath like she had been earlier. If they were going to try this, it would be with her eyes wide open.

After they had been seated and he'd ordered enough for them both to feed a small army, she picked up the diary, turning it to the next entry. Scanning it quickly, she filled him in on the important details.

"The next entry seems to have been written the following day," she said briskly. "It seems that she went to the youkai's lair and killed him. She seems to have been a miko of great power; it didn't take long to dispose of the youkai." She cleared her throat. "It, ah, also seems like she found the bones of the little girl scattered all over the den. She… failed to mention in the previous entry that the demon literally ripped the girl apart before she died-"

"You don't need to read that part," Sesshoumaru said sharply.

Kagome smiled a bit sadly as she looked at him. "It's okay, really. I kind of sympathize with her. I've had to go through the same thing myself a time or two."

She looked back down to continue reading silently to herself, but Sesshoumaru's skin nearly crawled with the remembered anguish her emotions were giving off. He was struck once again at how cursed she was. The pain she must have endured… a lesser woman would have broken under the strain. It was then that he had the second epiphany of the week, a record for him.

The first epiphany was that, if the Gods deemed that a woman was meant for you, follow the Gods. He took care of that epiphany last night when he said that he would be willing to work on this relationship with the miko. The second epiphany was that the Gods picked one hell of a woman to stand beside him. There was not anything "lesser" about Kagome in any way, shape, or form and it had just clicked in his brain. First, he had been angry about the fact that the connection might make him feel things that he wouldn't normally feel. Then, last night, he was looking forward to the advantages the connection would give him, but the truth of the matter was… this recent epiphany showed him that he would respect Kagome, with or without the damn connection. And it gave him a glimpse of hope, something he hadn't felt in a long time. Maybe all this really would work out.

"Sesshoumaru!" Kagome's exclamation brought him out of his musings. "I think she's talking about her first meeting with your uncle here!"

She turned the diary around to face him so he could read the elegant script that had a slight edge to it. "I don't think she was too impressed by his attitude," Kagome said, her eyes sparkling impishly.

"Hn," he said noncommittally, and read.

_There is a higher youkai that I met in the area today. I did not engage in combat with him because I knew he was a demon who meant no harm. I don't know exactly how I knew this, but I knew that he would commit no atrocious acts in this territory. I met him while scouting the area and, unfortunately, he was doing the same._

_Why must all higher youkai be so insufferably arrogant?_

_I was walking along the path that would take me to the river that lies just on the border of the forest when I came upon him, sitting in the sun. He had his eyes closed, but I knew he was alert. It was if I could 'feel' his attention on me, however ludicrous that is. I was uncommonly attuned to him as well, which still continues to baffle me. It sounds strange to say that I felt as if I was being led to the very spot where he resided. I still wonder now, hours later, if he had cast a spell upon the area to make me come to him?_

_I had pulled out an arrow as a precaution when, without even opening his eyes, he told me, "Put away the weapon, little one. I will not hurt you." _

_Indeed! Little one… as if I were a child! And I know he could feel my aura, just as I could feel his (which was the most powerful I had ever felt), but it seemed like he was brushing off my considerable power as if he would flick a bug off the fine silk of his haori. Arrogant dog._

_A dog he was, too. Brother to the Great General himself, the Inu no Taisho. His markings proved it, on his forehead and cheekbones. I found myself staring at him against my will, which I now find absurd. When he finally deigned to look at me, his eyes were the most interesting shade of gold I had ever seen, and they looked at me in such a way that I was unsure of myself for the first time in a long time… which is unforgivable. For some reason, when he stood up to face me, I didn't know whether to flee or move closer. I find myself confused over my behavior today._

_But it was his behavior that still has me riled even now. He told me that he supposed that I could patrol on the lands of his brother, provided I meet him at the same spot tomorrow. As if it were a privilege to be in his presence! I do not know yet if I will go. His conceit is not something I wish to be exposed to again, and the fact that he is a demon makes matters worse. But I feel as if something is drawing me to meet him again._

_My head has become so muddled! I will be wary of him if we ever do cross paths. No miko should feel this odd… intensity for a demon stranger. No, I do not think I will meet him tomorrow. I will forget about the meeting and any feelings associated with the arrogant dog._

"He sounds a lot like you," Kagome teased, and smothered a smile when Sesshoumaru glared at her. "It seems like they had an intense connection when they met, just like we did. She was afraid of it, most likely because she had been so used to feeling hopelessness, despair, and pain. She obviously didn't trust him, but was drawn to him despite herself."

"He obviously felt something for her as well… otherwise he wouldn't have invited her back. His rank and station wouldn't have allowed it because she was just a miko."

He paused, thinking maybe he could have rephrased that last statement to not sound so insulting to her, but she just laughed out loud. It was clear and refreshing, something he was sure hadn't been heard enough, and it pleased him.

"She was right," Kagome said, still giggling. "You are arrogant dogs."

"He apparently made an impression on her," Sesshoumaru countered. "Although she says she wouldn't meet him, they still end up as mates."

"True," she murmured. "I wonder what happened." She grabbed the diary from Sesshoumaru and began reading again at the next entry.

_He came into the perimeter of the village around sunset. It has been a long time since I have been surprised by anything, but his high-handedness made me pause. He enquired as to why I had not met him at the river as planned. I replied to him that I had made no such promise to him, nor would I ever make such a promise. His eyes had glowed like beams from the sun… I can only guess in frustration. He looked most put out and annoyed with me._

_My heart had been beating so fast, and when he came closer to me, something made me take a step back. He looked displeased at me, though I can't explain why. Why is he so interested in me? Or, more importantly, why am I so fascinated by him? I must confess that, even though I did not go to meet him at the river, I had been thinking of him all day. This is most abnormal, and I'm still suspicious of some type of spell, even though he has denied it. However, he looked almost… uncertain. At least as uncertain as an arrogant dog like him could be._

_He did not stay long… he seemed very agitated, which made me uneasy, though I cannot explain why. He has left, and I am left with this feeling of a strange anxiousness… and, though I may only confess it here, a longing to see him again._

_I begin to fear that maybe my time of insanity has really come upon me. Otherwise, why would I be feeling these things?_

"He wasn't about to let her ignore him," Sesshoumaru said, as Kagome related the latest entry. "Although he was suspicious of the connection too."

"The connection isn't really complete, though," she said. "At least, it doesn't seem as strong as ours."

"That's because he obviously hasn't touched her physically yet," he noted. That's how the connection is really triggered. After that first night when you had your vision, I touched you, and everything seemed to be amplified."

Kagome nodded, and she glanced at the words once more on the page as their food arrived. She didn't have long before Sesshoumaru snatched the diary away and handed her a fork instead. She couldn't help but be slightly amused, but she began to eat dutifully anyway. The ancient Miko and her Chosen One, however, stayed on her mind throughout the meal. The two in the past were obviously confused by the attraction between them, just as she had been confused by her reaction to Sesshoumaru. And still was confused, for that matter.

Sesshoumaru's cell phone rang, breaking the comfortable silence between them. After speaking for a few moments, he hung up and folded up his napkin. She looked at him questioningly and he explained, "Inuyasha and Kouga have returned with a guest who could have some important information. They are waiting for us at the headquarters."

They gathered up their things and began to make the short trek back to Sesshoumaru's car. It was a sunny day, and many people were milling about the area, meeting friends and shopping in all of the stores that lined the sidewalks. Completely normal. She saw a couple walking together with their heads close, holding hands and looking like they were glued together at the side; the woman was laughing at something the man said, and he was smiling down at her with a look of amused tenderness that struck Kagome with a sense of longing so strong, she almost paused.

Her life would never be that normal.

Instead of her and Sesshoumaru being a normal couple who were on the brink of falling in love, they were thrown together by fate and forced to accept each other without really knowing who the other person was. Added to that, they were still tracking a homicidal maniac who was stealing souls. Yep. Kagome's life was just a bundle of abnormal.

A stab of excruciating pain hit her, and she screamed once before she hit the ground.

Almost immediately the pain faded away, and she knew Sesshoumaru was with her. She breathed a sob of relief that the pain was gone, and focused on her surroundings. It was strange, not feeling any pain but still being aware in her visions, and she tried to focus to make the most of the opportunity.

The sunlight was brighter where she, or rather, the victim was. There were no tall buildings around her to impede the light from reaching her, and she realized that she was somewhere very remote and far away from the city. Now that there was no suffocating fear or agony infusing the vision, she was free to feel disappointment that the killer wasn't anywhere near their immediate vicinity, and they had less of a chance of capturing him.

"Ah, great job, Goro. This one will do very nicely for now. Miko souls always last longer than the others. She has a moderate amount of power… she is quite lovely too."

Kagome's heart began to pound as she frantically worried whether or not the other demon could sense she was a powerful miko, but then her brain began working again. The victim was a miko. She must have been from one of the smaller shrines that still resided in the country areas of Japan, and now she was about to die and have her soul sucked out. A hand reached out from her peripheral vision and stroked the cheek of the miko and Kagome wanted to flinch away. Even though she didn't feel it, she saw it, and still had no control over the body whose eyes she was looking through. She couldn't see the owner of the hand, and cursed mentally. She was being held from behind and the miko could only move her head a few centimeters left or right.

"What to do with her," the smooth voice continued. "Since hers is such a powerful soul, I wouldn't want to waste it." There was a pause. "Would you like to taste her, Goro?"

There was a grunt from behind her. The voice laughed. "Yes, I bet you would. You haven't had a woman in a long time. I'm feeling in a good mood today, and pleased you found such a catch for me. You can have until we have to leave this area… oh, say about three hours, to do whatever you wish to her. Then I will come back and we will finish the job. Does that sound like fair compensation for a job well done?"

Another grunt, and she could hear the soft whimpering of the miko.

"I'll leave you to your pleasure then. Remember, three hours."

One more grunt, this time in pleasure, and she could hear the sound of retreating footsteps.

Kagome had been exposed to many things in her previous visions… violations of the victims bodies included. It was one of the things that terrified her most. And now, just because she didn't have to feel her body being ripped into did not mean she wanted to witness it happen to an innocent miko girl probably no older than herself.

_No,_ she thought desperately. _No, no, get me out of here! Please!_

"Kagome!"

Her eyes snapped open, and met the intense gold of Sesshoumaru's. She blinked slowly, trying to orient herself to her surroundings. She was no longer in the countryside, she was in a small alleyway between two buildings, and Sesshoumaru was holding her very close to him, offering her his warmth.

His warmth was incredible and, just for a moment, she indulged herself, throwing herself closer to him, wrapping her arms around his neck, and holding on desperately. "He had a miko, Sesshoumaru, a young miko! They are too far from here to do anything about it, someplace very remote, but they are going to be traveling in three hours, at least that's how long he gave his servant to play with her, and then he was going to come back and kill her and-"

"Kagome, stop," Sesshoumaru said forcefully, holding her tightly to him and wishing he could just take the vision away. "You don't have to think about what will happen to her… you already know."

"I know!" she cried. "But just a few days ago I would have had to go through what she's going through now, and it's horrible! The only reason I'm not is because you pulled me out of the vision."

A thought struck her, and she withdrew from him immediately. "We were on the sidewalk, weren't we? When the vision started? How many people saw?"

He could feel the shame and embarrassment course through her now, as well as the lingering sorrow for the young miko who was going through unspeakable terror.

"I'm sorry," she babbled on, still trying to break away from his hold on her arms. "I don't really have a lot of daytime visions, and it's always complicated if there's a crowd who sees me… they always think I'm dying, or I'm crazy, or something… I'm so sorry," she finished helplessly.

He thought back to the sidewalk when she had first collapsed. His heart had dropped in a way it had never before when he'd heard her scream. He recalled the horrified looks of the passersby before he picked her up and whisked her away to the private alley, and he wondered how many times before she had been exposed like that in front of strangers. It obviously affected her very much, if the waves of distress emanating from her were any indication.

"Do not apologize," he said sharply, and she jerked her head as if he had hit her. It caused him a strange sort of pang in his chest, but he pressed onward. "The humans have no idea of the types of things you suffer. The last thing you should be worrying about is what they think of you."

"It's not really what they think of me," she said, still refusing to look at him, and he grew even angrier. He knew it was only a half-truth. "It's what they think of the people who are with me," she continued. "I don't mean to cause anyone embarrassment."

"Embarrassment," he replied incredulously, grabbing her chin to force her to look at him. "You go through unspeakable things, and you are worried about the others? About what people will think of me when they realize I know you?"

"It's happened before," she defended, trying hard not to let the tears, being held at bay by sheer willpower, fall. "No one really knows when a vision will happen, and I've been in some unfortunate places when they've occurred."

"And you think I would care about that?" he asked in a deadly voice.

"I don't know!" she exploded, and the tears spilled forward as the stress of the last few days caught up with her. "I don't really know anything about you, do I? Just as you don't really know about me, about what it would really mean to be tied to a freak! This Chosen thing isn't going to work out if both participants don't know each other, and we're not exactly best friends, are we?"

Suddenly his famous renowned temper spilled over as well and his voice grew very soft. "Well, then, don't you think it's time you got to know me better? That we get closer?"

Without giving her another chance to respond, he sealed his mouth to hers, but was unprepared for the reaction. It was as if the world stopped turning for one moment, and there was just them. No alleyway, no people waiting just beyond the alley walls, no noise… just sensation. The sensation of her warm weight pressed up to him, molded to him, and he clutched her closer to him as if he were afraid she was going to disappear. Her lips were soft and smooth, and so deliciously hot he was worried he was going to self-combust. He could feel her surprise and shock, then a slow melting as the contact of their lips reached her brain.

Pure fireworks.

She had not been expecting his dark flavor, or his firm lips rubbing sensuously against hers, and she could no longer support herself to stand upright. But that was okay because he was supporting her weight anyway so she just sort of lay against his body, accepting his demanding mouth against her.

Demanding… that wasn't really the word to describe it. Greedy, maybe. Assertive? Most definitely. And, when the shock of his tongue touched hers, she whimpered.

He groaned, never being to the point of no return so quickly before in his life when she opened her mouth to his insistent one, and he took the opportunity to plunder. It was the best kiss he'd ever experienced… indeed, he could not really remember any other kiss he'd had before when his lips were so pleasurably engaged with hers. It was as if he were a newly made creature being introduced to the world of lusty delights for the first time and not knowing any restraint.

His body was throbbing for release, and it was only when she moaned again that he came back to himself, realizing that he could not take her in a dark alleyway in the middle of broad daylight, no matter how much he was tempted. Tempted… such a small word to describe the emotions rioting through him; he almost gave into it when he saw her eyes open immediately and he saw his own lust reflected through her eyes.

But then there was a shriek of laughter beyond the protective bubble of the walls surrounding them. The intense mood was broken, and still her sadness remained.

"That was just the connection," she pointed out, her eyes dulled. "You probably didn't even really want to do that."

He refrained from rolling his eyes and grabbed her close again by the hips, letting her feel through his clothes the part of him that still ached for her. He had the satisfaction of seeing her blush before her eyes shot to him in amazement. Carefully, he grabbed her face and leaned slowly towards her.

"No doubt the connection made the feelings more intense," he whispered, his breath ghosting over her cheek. "However, I would have done that even without the connection and enjoyed it." He was not as surprised as he thought to realize it was true. For the first time, he realized that he would have been attracted to her even without the connection, based solely on her strength. She was the strongest woman he had come across, just because of her spirit. "I told you we would give this a chance, Kagome, a partnership. The Gods picked you for me… if you think I'm just going to let you go, you are mistaken." Slowly, his lips barely touching her, he kissed the tear tracks that ran down her cheeks, letting his tongue slip out for a moment to taste her essence. She closed her eyes with a shuddering breath. He leaned back slightly, and she opened her eyes. "Am I understood?"

She didn't answer him for a long moment, just looked at him with her heartbreaking eyes consideringly. Something shifted in those cerulean depths, and she seemed to look at him as if he were something she had never seen before. Slowly, she placed her hands on his chest and pushed slightly. He moved back according to her wishes, however reluctantly.

Then she gave a tiny smile and said in a quiet voice, "The others are going to start to wonder where we are. We'd better get going."

Turning slightly, she grabbed his hand lightly and began walking. Curling his fingers about hers, he waited silently.

He smiled to himself as she curled her fingers into his and held on tight.

It seemed as if he had been understood.


	7. Gods and Demons

(It's been over a year. I know. Believe me, I know. Thank you to all of those who have sent me reviews, asking when the hell I was going to get off of my ass and write this. Enjoy this chapter, with all of your hearts.

Thank you to Wiccan, my ever wonderful and lovely beta. This chapter definitely would not have happened without her.)

Visions

Chapter Seven

Gods and Demons

"I'm sorry, but I really want to get this straight. We are going to talk to a tree?"

"Not just any tree, Kagome," Inuyasha said, trying for once to be patient. "You're going to talk to Bokusenou. He's like…older than dirt."

"Right," Kagome said, dragging out the word. A pause. "Inuyasha, you do know that trees can't talk, right?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and sent a glance to Sesshoumaru, begging him to explain. They had gathered in the main conference room of the penthouse at Myoga's request, while the flea demon explained his idea to the team. Sesshoumaru had been quiet up until then, amused to see Inuyasha bumbling through his explanations, but decided to be generous and explain.

"Bokusenou is an ancient tree with the ability to see and speak. As such, he has wisdom and knowledge that is incomparable to anyone or anything else. He is also in the service of my family and was a friend of my father."

"Oh," Kagome said. "So then you think he'll know something about the type of demon we're dealing with?"

All eyes turned to Myouga, who was inconspicuously inching his way to Sango's neck. "Myouga!" Inuyasha barked, and the little flea demon started and looked guiltily at the group.

"My apologies, Inuyasha-sama. Fresh new blood is always a treat. As I was saying earlier when you arrived, I have never heard of the type of demon you are pursuing. The only person I can think of that could help you is Bokusenou—"

"He's not a person," Kagome muttered. "He's a tree. And I don't even know why I'm calling he a he. Shouldn't he be an '_it_'?"

Inuyasha shot her a warning glance, and she lifted her hands in surrender, letting the old demon continue speaking. "He hears things," Myouga explained. "If there was the slightest whisper about the evil you are seeking, he would know. He is your best bet right now, Sesshoumaru-sama." He bowed low to Sesshoumaru, who was silent, contemplating everything that had been said.

"Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha began, but the TaiYoukai interrupted.

"It would be a wasted trip if he knew nothing."

"It's not that far…a night trip at most, and even that is pushing it," Inuyasha argued back. "We can afford a night if he really DOES end up having information."

"Kagome would be with me if I went to go and see him." His tone was implacable. The bond wouldn't let them be apart for that long, regardless. "As such, if the soul-sucker is in the city by now, and she has a vision while we are away, where would that leave us?"

"Whoa, wait, who's going where?" Kagome cut in. "Why does it have to be Sesshoumaru that goes and sees him? Why didn't you go and see him while you were already out of the city, Inuyasha?"

Myouga hopped onto Kagome's shoulder and answered her question. "Because Sesshoumaru-sama is the full blooded son of our master and the heir of the DaiYoukai status. Bokusenou would not speak to Inuyasha-sama simply because he does not have the pure blood that Sesshoumaru-sama has."

Kagome glanced at Inuyasha, who had a bored look on his face, but something under the surface told her that not having that "pure blood" was a sore spot with him. Of course, Inuyasha was a hanyou as opposed to a full-blooded demon like Sesshoumaru, and in the present day world of co-existing humans and demons, a hanyou wouldn't really have a place either way. He was so different from the humans with his coloring and physical attributes that bespoke demonic heritage, yet he would be looked down upon by the demons for not being pure race. Kagome could sympathize. The humans thought she was a freak, the mikos pitied her, and the demons were wary of her because she was a miko. There had never been a place for her outside of her family.

But Inuyasha had carved his own way, not allowing the prejudices of the time to affect him. He was brash, somewhat crude, arrogant, but he belonged to the team. Sesshoumaru, in an odd sense, had given him value and a place to belong. She snuck a sideways glance to the TaiYoukai and saw his gaze on her. Would she be able to find a place because of him as well?

"How far away is Bokusenou?" she asked.

"A four-hour drive from the city, then a short journey by foot. Bokusenou is located in a protected land development as isolated from the city as possible," Myouga offered.

"Let me guess," Kagome said wryly. "Sesshoumaru's land?"

"Yes," Inuyasha said, tired of just standing around. "So, are you gonna go? If she has a vision while you are away…well, we got cell phones, don't we? It's not the best thing, but it'll do in a pinch."

Sesshoumaru's gaze was still on Kagome. "Leave us," he said, not bothering to turn and see if his orders were obeyed by his team.

The rest of the team filed out of the room with one last hard gaze from Inuyasha. Shippo grabbed Myouga from Kagome's shoulder; the old flea gave one last longing look at Kagome's neck.

"Trust me, you don't even want to THINK about trying it," Shippo said, closing the door, leaving the couple alone.

The silence stretched between them, and Kagome fidgeted slightly. "It's not likely that whoever this is, he going to kill again tonight. He already killed once today…in fact, he probably finished about a half an hour ago," she said, her voice brooding as she looked at the clock on the wall. More than three hours had passed since she had had her unfortunate vision in the alleyway. There was probably nothing left of the miko that she had seen, and she resisted the urge to clench her hands into fists at the helplessness rolling through her.

"Then you would not be adverse to traveling for a night trip, if it came to that?" Sesshoumaru asked, his face blank. Through the connection she could feel only his slight curiosity. Her curiosity was drawn out as well.

"Why would I be?"

She fought the urge to shift as he took a slow step closer. "I was under the impression that you wanted time—call it a "courting period" for lack of anything better—before we became intimate."

His bluntness caused her cheeks to flush. "What makes you think that going on a trip alone with you would change anything?" she said, not really knowing what else to say. She tried to will the growing redness in her cheeks away. "We slept in the same bed last night in the hotel, and nothing happened. What makes this any different?"

_I have tasted her; that was the difference_, he thought. Their relationship had taken a drastic turn in the last twenty-four hours and he had been willing to give her time before they did anything…life-changing, as she had put it. But that was before this afternoon, when he had tasted the sweetness of her lips, felt the fire her touch could bring him, and he craved more. He craved her. Now, the thought of having her next to him, warm and trusting in his arms…having to remember her naked passion in the moment of her vulnerability…it would sorely test the limits of his already tenuous control when he was around her.

He fought valiantly not to let his emotions eke through their bond, and instead let out a small sigh. "Then we leave today. Go and pack what you need for an overnight trip. If we leave within the hour, we'll be as close as we can be by nightfall."

She tried not to blink. _Well. Okay then_. His little 180 degree turns were beginning not to faze her, which said a lot about her ability to adapt to their situation. She just nodded and left the room to go pick up the bag she had brought with her from the hotel room. It was a good thing she had assumed they would be staying at headquarters again; she could be ready to go in ten minutes.

Sesshoumaru watched her leave, trying to ignore the feeling of unease as she walked out of his sight. Inwardly, he sighed. The old miko, Kaede, had said that the urge to grow closer physically to one another would strengthen over time, and he was beginning to understand what that meant. It was going to be a hellish night. Bokusenou better have valuable information, or the flea Myouga would not have a happy fate. Pleasant visions of a writhing, tormented flea filled his mind, but he pushed them away to focus on his upcoming trip. Since they were already going to be traveling….his gaze narrowed as he took out his cell phone and began to make a few calls.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Quite quickly and efficiently, they were on their way out of the city, traveling the winding roads that would take them into the pastoral country sides and forests of Japan. Kagome gazed out of her window and slowly watched the city dwindle away to open fields and tried not to think about the upcoming night. Her memories flashed towards the moment in the alleyway where he had cornered her (at least that's what it felt like to her) and, well…kissed her silly. The bond that they shared had already made her hyper-aware of him as a male, but that kiss…If something happened and the bond was magically broken by some unknown force, she would still remember that kiss for the rest of her life and use it for comparison. And she felt like anything else would fall short. She had the sinking feeling that if by some chance the bond was broken, she still wouldn't want to leave the side of the demon next to her.

Her conflicting emotions tore at her. First she wanted to keep the bond because it would ensure painless visions and take away the threat of insanity that had always hung around her shoulders. She had been hurt that he didn't want her and refused to accept the fact that there was a connection between them. But now that he _had_ accepted it…well, he was a lot friendlier for one, if that kiss had been any indication. And she had seen other facets of his character in the past week that had made him somewhat admirable in her eyes…Good God, had it really been less than a week? In the grand scheme of things, it had seemed like a lot longer, but technically it had only been a few days. The power of the connection was not to be underestimated, but it felt like she was losing a part of herself in the process. It bothered her, but it also made her feel ashamed. Since when had she been so fickle? She had resented him for not wanting to give this partnership…relationship…whatever it was called a chance, but now she was having second thoughts? It didn't seem fair to him, but she couldn't seem to help it.

"Miko, whatever you're thinking, you are thinking too hard about it.."

She shot him a baleful glare, but it was half-hearted. "Oh, it's nothing….I was just thinking how strange it was that I'm most likely going to be spending the rest of my life around you, which _now_ you don't seem to mind, but I've known you less time than I've known most acquaintances in my life."

"Surely you've realized by now that our relationship is a bit unique," he replied dryly. "By human standards, I'm sure it is unthinkable, but I am not human. Youkai instincts are different than human emotions and misgivings. Also take into account that this bond between us was created by the Gods. That in itself should banish your misgivings. And as I thought I showed you this afternoon, whether or not there was a bond between us, I would stay."

She blushed, but was not ready to give up on the subject. "I understand that, Sesshoumaru. And while you may be youkai, I'm human. I obviously don't have the instincts that you were talking about. This whole thing seems so surreal to me, and I don't know what to do about it."

"There is not much you can do," he pointed out in an insufferably reasonable tone.

She sat back in her seat, unwilling to let it go, but not giving him the satisfaction of seeing her pout. The connection didn't offer free will. She could not leave him, and he could not leave her. They should have that choice.

"Why are you allowing this to govern your thoughts?" She could hear the slight bit of frustration enter his voice. "You worry about whether or not I am being controlled by my own actions or if the connection we have is influencing us. In all likelihood, it is both. Would it be the same without the bond? If you want complete honesty, I do not know." Even though he doubted it would make much of a difference now. The miko, Kaede, had said that Kagome would be compatible as his mate regardless of anything…all that had really changed was the time frame. "In any case, we will never know. Your mentor assured us that there was no way to break the bond." And the thought of her wanting to break the bond now was chafing at the very instincts he mentioned to her before. He was not governed by human standards…he wanted her, she wanted him, it was that simple. If, however, she didn't want him…it was unthinkable. "Are you now changing your mind?" he demanded.

She could feel the roiling emotions in him, and was surprised by the strength of them. "No," she said slowly. "I guess I feel like I'm trapping you into something you don't want to be trapped into."

He gave a little sneer of derision that was unconsciously sexy. "You worry about things that have been already resolved, miko."

"Miko," Kagome repeated. "If you can't even call me by my name in normal conversation, what does that say? You don't really know me…and I don't know you." She felt like a broken record, but this was too big of an issue to put on the back-burner.

She had seen him in action, and she could _feel _his character and the essence of who he was through the bond. She knew that he was haughty and proud, but honorable. He valued control, over his lands and over himself. He was protective, even if he didn't want to be or didn't realize it. He was demanding, but had a quirky sense of humor that shone on rare occasions. Intelligent, powerful…and he had the ability to be kind, even if it was in a warped way. But she didn't want to know that, even as she told herself she was being stupid for not being happy with what she had discovered. Everything that she did know about him should have been built over time with a lasting relationship, but there was still so much more. She didn't know his history, his favorite places, what he enjoyed to do in his free time, his preferences and likes and dislikes. And she found that she wanted to know that about him; what made him tick, what made him angry, and what made him happy. She really knew nothing.

He could feel the unhappiness in her, and it called on his instincts to sooth her. If his mate was hurting, he was supposed to make it better. Even if he did think she was being a bit melodramatic.

Humans.

He gave a little sigh. "Kagome." She looked at him, and he could see everything in her eyes even without the bond. Confusion, misery, frustration. "Your concern is over things that cannot be changed. We are bound to each other, in some ways deeper than anyone could be bound to one another. What you feel, I feel, and vice versa. No one has had that liberty with me before. No one will ever have that again. What you need to ask yourself is, can you be content with that? Why lament over something irreversible? Instead, try to take what you are given and make it acceptable to you."

She understood the wisdom in his words, but was it really that simple? In such a short amount of time, he became closer to her in ways no one ever could. Was it really as easy as trying to make the best of it? She bit her lip as her mind worked. She heard another one of his little sighs that she was starting to realize he gave only when he was exasperated or frustrated.

"What would you like to know?" he asked.

"Huh?" She turned her body to look at him, but his eyes were on the road.

"One of your concerns is that you do not know me that well. Rectify that so it won't bother you anymore. Ask what you will."

She contemplated him for a moment, realizing instinctually that this was an opportunity that was unprecedented. She doubted he ever offered any personal information to anyone, not even to family. Was she deeper than that to him?

"Miko," he said, his voice letting her know he wasn't going to just sit there while she was silent. He had made an offer and she had better take it.

She didn't even get mad at his use of "miko" this time. "Where were you born? When? What was your childhood like? What—"

"One question at a time," he said, frowning, but she felt a slight hint of wry amusement. "I was born in Edo almost nine-hundred years ago. I reached full maturity during the Sengoku Jidai period, where all that mattered for man and demon alike was power. My childhood was spent training and roaming my father's lands. My father was a DaiYoukai, and the greatest general of his time. Shortly before I reached full maturity and TaiYoukai status, my father was killed by a human."

Kagome had heard legends of the Great Dog General, and also of his death. "He would not have been killed in that battle if he had not already been injured," she said quietly, and saw the minute movement of his jaw as it clenched.

"Indeed," he said grimly. "It was on the night Inuyasha was born. Inuyasha's human mother was being attacked by a human warrior who thought the union between my father and the woman abominable. My father sustained grave injuries in a previous battle against a dragon demon that had been terrorizing his territory. He fought for the woman, and he died for it."

He could remember that night clearly…the snow just beginning to fall tentatively and the conversation with his father before he left to Inuyasha's mother. The blood that had testified to his father's injuries. Sesshoumaru had known his father was going to die that night. Back then, all Sesshoumaru had cared about was the swords his father carried. His father had already become weak in his mind for wanting to protect the human, and the fact that he was going to charge recklessly to his death for a pathetic being drove his apathy to new levels.

"Did you hate Inuyasha's mother…because she was a human, and she was a part of the reason your father died?" Like the story of his father, Kagome was also aware of Sesshoumaru's rumored hatred of humans. What had changed in the last several hundred years for him to reach a point of co-existance?

"My father died a worthless death," Sesshoumaru said flatly. "He was in the prime of his life, and he threw it away. His power was wasted. The human woman was not worthy enough for his sacrifice."

"And Inuyasha?" She held her breath.

Sesshoumaru was quiet for several moments. Miles had dragged on before he answered. "Inuyasha's blood is unstable because of the fact that he is a hanyou. After that night, I was disgusted by everything he stood for. My father's weakness, tainted blood, and no control. When his demon blood took over, he would become a crazed monster with no functioning reasoning ability. He disgraced the name of my father the few times he lost control."

He gathered his thoughts again and Kagome stayed silent. "My father had left his sword, Tetsusaiga, to Inuyasha to help him control his blood. That sword was a prized possession of my father's and a powerful sword. Any demon who possessed it would gain tremendous power. My father had left me a sword as well: Tenseiga. The sword of Heaven and of healing. It was not a destructive sword, for it could not kill in the hands of its master."

Kagome understood the implications. Inuyasha was given a sword of power while Sesshoumaru had been given the short straw, so to speak.

"For years, I despised Inuyasha for having what should have rightfully been mine. On several occasions, however, the sword kept Inuyasha's blood under control. It stopped Inuyasha from disgracing the memory of my father more, and it took me several years before I finally understood why my father gave Inuyasha that sword. My father had an unnatural compassion for the human race, even with all of their faults and failings. He had anticipated Inuyasha's unstable blood, and planned accordingly."

"That still doesn't answer my question if you thought he was worthy. Obviously, something happened to make you change your opinion of him, otherwise he wouldn't be on your team."

"It was my desire to kill Inuyasha." It was a blunt statement with no apology. "Humans were terrified of him and detested him, while he was not worthy of any notice of the youkai. He would have been better off dead, and that way he could no longer shame my bloodline. Despite that…he grew to be strong." His tone was almost grudging. "He didn't cower under the weight of his circumstances, and sometimes…he was a formidable opponent in battle. Even though he is half-human, he has the youkai blood of my father in him as well. It would not allow him to be weak. I've seen him close to death and still stand proudly for battle. While I may not admire him, I cannot condemn his fighting spirit. After I realized why my father gave the sword to him, some of my hatred for him died away. Eventually, I took him under my wing and trained him. What you see today is the product of a few hundred years of effort. Underneath all of his failings, he is still family." He grimaced inwardly and the sappy sound of his words, even if he didn't mean them to be sappy. It was plain fact. He could not shame his father either by denying a part of his blood.

"And the rest of humanity? What made you stop hating them?"

"Who says I have stopped hating them?" he asked, deadpanned.

"Ha ha. Sure, you might not seem like Mr. Compassion like your father was, but you don't seem to be a human hater like some other youkai I've seen. What changed?"

"A girl," he replied.

"A girl," she repeated, then narrowed her eyes. "What kind of girl?"

"A human girl."

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes, trying not to let his amusement show. She was looking at him hard, and he could practically see the gears of her mind working. "A lover?"

And damned if he didn't feel jealously coming off of her. It was faint, but it was there. He let out a little smirk.

"I have been labeled many things in my life, but a pedophile is not one of them."

She went blank for a moment. "So it was a human child?"

"Rin." For a moment she could almost see his eyes soften, but a second later, it was gone. "Her village had been ravaged by wolf demons and she had been killed. I brought her back to life with Tenseiga., and after that she followed me around."

"And you let her?"

He resisted the urge to snort again. As if he could have stopped that foolhardy child from doing what she wanted. His memory recalled a toothy smile, the scent of flowers and finding bundles of the flora waiting for him after a patrol, and nights spent playing a silent sentinel under a starry sky.

"She intrigued me," he finally said. "She knew I was a demon, yet she had no fear of me. After losing her family, she had no one, but she had a spirit that I found to be incredible after so much loss. The village did not treat her well, and her death had been a blessing. I had received Tenseiga, however, and wanted to see what the sword had to offer."

"You used her as a test run?" Even though she was incredulous, Kagome was also amused. He really didn't have a high opinion of humanity back then if he was using them to test the power of his sword.

"Hn. Anyway, for a human, she impressed me. I won't say that I love humanity or anything your kind has to offer, but there are a select few who have merit."

"Why, thank you," she said dryly. "What happened to Rin?"

His eyes dimmed just a little. "She showed signs of being a miko, and I arranged for her training so she would not be weak. She lived her life as happy as she could make it, and as all mortals do, died."

He had watched her body be cremated and then scattered her ashes on the flower fields and meadows she loved so much.

"I'm so sorry," Kagome murmured.

"It was over 500 years ago. I assure you, I am over it."

"All right," she said, letting go of it. He still couldn't deny that the little girl had more of an impact on him than he let on. It would have been an honor to meet the one who could have influenced Sesshoumaru like that. She was glad he had had someone around him to keep him company during a time when a demon like him would have had to have been isolated. Living for as long as he had, the bitterness of his fathers death competing with his quest for power…they must have been very lonely years. At least he had found someone, if only for a short time. She smiled at the thought. Big, bad Sesshoumaru felled by a little child.

"What about you?" he suddenly asked, breaking her out of her thoughts.

"What about me?" she asked warily.

"You admit a desire to know one another, and now are not willing to reciprocate?" he asked smoothly.

"I can't imagine what could be so interesting about my childhood," she said, uncomfortably. "You've lived for centuries, and I've only lived a short while. I would probably bore you."

"I doubt that," he murmured. The faint flash of panic that shot through her, and ultimately him, intrigued him. So she didn't want to share? Fine. He could be patient. He could wait for her trust, although it chafed him that he had made himself vulnerable by imparting important information, and she wasn't willing to take the risk. When they were true mates, it was important to him as a youkai that he be so intertwined in her life that she wouldn't be able to hide anything from him. How was he supposed to make her feel better if he truly didn't know what was wrong?

But, he would bide his time. And in the meantime he would find ways to become closer to her, for her to have to rely on him, physically and emotionally. He smiled a grim little smile that Kagome fortunately couldn't see, and they drove on.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

_He came to meet me again today on the outskirts of the village's perimeter. I had an arrow drawn as soon as I saw him, but he just smiled, almost gently, in amusement. I have called him an insufferable dog before, and I did it again, for that's what he is._

_His smile grew wider. "I have a name, little one."_

"_As do I, and it is not 'little one.'" I don't know why it made me nervous when he called me that. Instead of feeling like a child as I had before, I feel like it is becoming a term of endearment, which is absurd coming from him. He, however, looked delighted._

"_Ah! Indeed, indeed, you have a name as well. Why don't we exchange? My name is Yukio."_

_He took a step closer to me as he said his name, and waited expectantly for mine. Against my better judgment, I took a step closer to him. "I am the High Miko, Katsumi," I told him proudly, even if I hadn't felt like a High Miko in some time. "And you, demon, should not be here."_

"_Tsk, did you forget my name already?" he asked, but there was a lightness in his eyes that intrigued me. "And on the contrary, I have as much right to be here, perhaps more so than you. These are my brother's lands, after all. He has placed me in charge of the territory's wellbeing. I am just doing my duty."_

_I looked at him skeptically. "You could easily avoid detection doing that. Why do you show yourself to me?"_

_I could have sworn he looked a bit uncertain, but the look was gone when I blinked._

"_You are the one who killed the snake demon that was killing the children a few weeks ago?" His voice rang with disapproval. "You should not take such risks with your life. It is my responsibility to see to any threats."_

_I was incredulous. He was telling me not to risk my life…if only he knew what I experienced. "I had to kill him," I told him flatly. "Moreover, I am an experienced Miko, and I can take care of myself."_

"_Hn," he said. I swore I could hear a multitude of emotions from that one sound. Disbelief, more disapproval, and more of that damn amusement. Stupid dog._

_I turned and began to walk away._

"_I will be seeing you again, little one."_

"_Do what you will, dog," I said dismissively._

"_Yukio," he told me. "My name is Yukio. Try not to forget it."_

"_You forgot mine first," I said without turning around._

"_Katsumi." He was almost laughing as he said it. Even though I wasn't facing him, I could hear it. "It's been a pleasure, Katsumi."_

"_Hn," I threw back, and continued to walk to the sound of his laughter._

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"Their beginning relationship is so interesting," mused Kagome as she held the diary in her lap. "They are being drawn towards each other without even realizing it."

"No, Yukio realized it," Sesshoumaru said. "The instinct to be around her, even before activating the bond, would have been too strong for him not to notice it. Surely you must have noticed it as well, in our first meeting. We hardly knew each other, but I know you felt something. Am I wrong?"

"No," she said, thinking. "I barely focused on anyone else in the room. It was as if an invisible current was running through me, leading me to seek you out. And once I saw you, I didn't want to take my eyes off of you."

He smirked, but inside, he grimaced. She couldn't just say things like that without thinking, damn it, especially when he couldn't do anything about it. They were almost to the destination where they would have to go on foot, and she had suggested reading a few more diary entries from the journal of the other miko.

"At least now you know her name," he said, trying to distract himself from thoughts of showing her exactly how drawn to her he had been the first time he had seen her as well.

"Katsumi," she said softly. "It's a nice name. And your uncle's too."

"I hardly consider him my uncle," Sesshoumaru said dryly. "Technically, yes, he was my father's brother, but I know of him through scrolls and legends. All of the events in the diary happened well before my time."

"What happened to him?" she asked.

"I don't know," he answered slowly. "There were several rumors of his death before I was born, but none of them were proven. He just…disappeared."

"The question now is, did he disappear with Katsumi?"

"If they were mates, then of course. He would not be able to leave her behind."

Kagome shied away from the subject of mates and turned to another topic. "Let's see if it has an account of the first time the bond was activated."

She turned several pages carefully in the old diary, scanning the pages quickly. Several more mentions of meetings with Yukio appeared, all to the apparent consternation of Katsumi. She stopped on one entry that caught her eye. "I think I've found something."

She read,

_How can one instant change life irrevocably forever? One small moment in a lifetime of moments can change everything…change destiny. Change everything I've ever understood and now everything I've ever wanted. And when that moment occurs, I wonder why every other moment has paled in comparison. How I ever lived before that moment occurred. Not that what I was doing could actually be called "living." More like surviving without even knowing the reason. But now…_

_Now everything has changed._

_He has touched me, and in that moment I knew that the life I had known before was over and something new had happened. He touched me and it felt like I breathed for the first time. I can no longer question anything because it doesn't seem to matter anymore. He made the pain go away. With one touch he has changed my life. I wonder if he even knows._

_Probably. If his storming off after the incident was any indication, I would say that something has happened to him too, even though I do not understand it. I feel cold and anxious now that he is gone, but, amazingly enough, I can feel him. He is not very happy right now, and I…I honestly do not know how to feel right now._

_He made the pain go away._

_How is this even possible? One moment I was arguing with him, questioning his fascination with me (which he didn't seem to like), and the next I was in the world of my visions. This time, my attacker was a cat demon…a nasty creature who enjoyed slaughtering whole human villages and pillaged any valuables left behind. I was going on a journey to hunt him tomorrow morning, but he had found another village to terrorize, and I was shoved right in the middle of his killing spree._

_I think I screamed. Claws were tearing at my skin, and my blood was spilling on the ground. All around me I could hear the moans of dying villagers and the grunts of satisfaction from the demon. I closed my eyes and awaited the final blow._

_And then there was nothing but warmth. Warmth and an abnormal feeling of comfort as if I were floating in heaven. I had thought that perhaps one of my visions had finally killed me, and I was finally free. _

_I woke up in his arms. He was my warmth, my comfort. And in that instant, everything changed._

"So she had a vision and he touched her," Kagome said, her heart beating faster after reading that entry. "Just like us."

"Hn."

She frowned at his one word answer that wasn't really an answer. Did abstract sounds count as answers? "He also stormed off like you did," she pointed out sweetly, and had the satisfaction of watching him frown and feel the flicker of annoyance from him.

"He probably distrusted the connection, as I did, and needed some time away from the distraction of her so he could think," he countered.

"Distraction?" she said, laughing incredulously. "You make it sound like it was her fault. He's the one that touched her, not the other way around."

"He wouldn't have been able to help himself, if her visions were anything like yours," Sesshoumaru countered softly, and Kagome shut her mouth.

There was an awkward silence, at least to Kagome, for about another mile before she noticed Sesshoumaru turning down a road that had a sign proclaiming "Private Property" with a large, imposing gate blocking their way. On the gates was a huge lock. Sesshoumaru parked the car and stepped out, extracting a set of keys from his pocket. He quickly unlocked the gate and less than a minute later, they were through the gate (which had been relocked) and driving down a road that was obviously less traveled.

"I get that the gate would keep humans out, but what about demons?" Kagome asked curiously. "I've seen demons jump higher than thirty feet without even trying. They could easily clear that. What if one of your enemies wanted to get to Bokusenou and do something to him—it—whatever it is?"

"I have placed seals around my territory that even the most powerful demons would have trouble breaking. Besides, my name is well known."

"Meaning that they wouldn't even try it because they know you'll find them and do unspeakable things to them?" she asked with a mischievous smile.

He didn't answer, but merely stopped the car and said, "We travel on foot now."

Kagome stepped out of the car, only to face a huge wall of trees before her. "Okay, time to find a talking tree…hey, Sesshoumaru, have you ever heard the one about a needle in a haystack?"

"No," he said blandly, and began walking.

She stared at his broad back for a moment before huffing out a sigh. "Fine. Right. All powerful demon walking; All hail the mighty Sesshoumaru, who could probably find the talking tree in his sleep."

"Are you going to talk to yourself all day, or are you coming?" Sesshoumaru said, about fifteen feet in front of her, but she could still hear and feel the amusement.

"Coming, coming," she said, and grudgingly began to walk.

Despite the fact that they all looked the same to her, the trees were quite beautiful. The sun had been shining fiercely when they had stepped out of the car, but under the canopy of leaves, it was pleasantly cool and dim. She could hear the sounds of small rustlings from woodland creatures and the shifting of leaves, and walking side by side with Sesshoumaru, she found it to be quite…nice.

Sesshoumaru stopped in front of a tree, and she stood behind him. She saw at him staring intently at the trunk, and so she squinted at it too. A few seconds passed. "Is he supposed to say something first?" she finally whispered.

"Baka," he said, smiling slightly, but not taking his eyes off of the tree. "This isn't Bokusenou. I'm unraveling the first set of seals." Thus said, he slowly placed a clawed hand on the tree trunk, and Kagome briefly saw the imprint of a powerful spell with the according barrier. She felt his power rising to counteract the seal, and felt a pleasant tingle along her skin and she shivered. She quickly blocked it out.

"Oh," she whispered back, blushing because she did feel like the idiot he proclaimed her to be, but in a moment she said, "Wow, that really IS a powerful seal. Even I would have a bit of trouble with this one."

"You would be able to break it?" he asked with a raised eyebrow; the suggestion was implicit.

She bristled. "Of course I would! I'm not a High Miko for nothing."

He smirked. "All right. You can break the next seal, then."

"Fine," she said haughtily, and missed the glowing of his eyes.

They had walked scarcely ten minutes after the first seal was broken before he stopped in front of another tree.

"After you," he said, gesturing to the tree. Head held high, she walked to the tree and placed her hand on the trunk. After a brief moment, Sesshoumaru could feel the power rising from her, and she glowed a slight pink as she concentrated on breaking the seal. It would take her obviously more time to break the seal than it had taken him. After all, he was the one who created the seal in the first place. He decided to take this moment to enjoy the view she offered, intently staring at the tree while her power danced along his nerve receptors and almost making him shudder. His eyes became slightly hooded, his breath more shallow, as the pure power flowing off of her reacted with his own power in the most _pleasant_ way. Too bad this was the last seal…he would have let her do more if this was the effect it had on him.

Sadly, she broke the barrier sooner than he had wished. She turned around to look at him with a triumphant smile, cheeks flushed slightly in victory. He wanted to have her flushed for a different reason, but all he said was, "Touché, Miko."

"That really was a difficult barrier," she said modestly, showing her good-nature. "I specialized in seals and barriers during my training, besides my archery. Otherwise, I don't think I would have been able to break it. There were so many layers to it, plus it had your power signature on it, which is more than I've ever felt before. You could teach the mikos a few things."

He refrained from telling her exactly what he wanted to teach one miko in particular, and just walked on with her following silently. Another half hour passed in silence, the sound of their footfalls and the natural sounds of the forest audible, before Sesshoumaru stopped in front of another tree, this one slightly larger.

Kagome stared curiously, wondering if this was another barrier, before Sesshoumaru said in a deep commanding voice, "Bokusenou."

To her astonishment, a face appeared in the trunk, of a weathered old man. Kagome's mouth dropped in shock.

"Sesshoumaru-sama," the tree replied, and Kagome began to think that she would have to apologize to Inuyasha for not believing him. "It's been awhile. You haven't been to see me for more than a century."

"Hn. Myouga said you might have some information that may be useful to us," Sesshoumaru began, not bothering with many preliminaries. In a matter of minutes, he gave concise descriptions of their case, the victims, and all of the details of their supposed suspect.

"You say that he forces the soul out before the bodies dies, hm?" Bokusenou said, and Kagome knew if the tree had arms and hands, he would have his fingers to his chin in thought. It was really quite odd. "Rumors have been passed my way for centuries through the trees. They have many secrets to impart."

"Are any of the rumors useful to us?" Sesshoumaru asked, the slight bite of impatience in his voice.

"Patience, young one," Bokusenou shot back, and Kagome had to hold back a giggle at the thought of Sesshoumaru being schooled like a naughty child. "As I was saying, many rumors have passed my way, but only once have I heard of a demon like the one you have described to me."

"Then you do know of someone?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"I know only of legends, Sesshoumaru-sama, but I also believe that every legend is based in some form of truth. However, if I am right…."

"Well?" The bite of impatience was back.

"You have picked yourself a hell of an enemy, my Lord," Bokusenou replied bluntly, and Kagome had to blink at the phrasing.

"Back in the days when mankind and demons were just a fledging race, the Gods were raging a civil war against each other over the question of morality and power. The majority of these Gods wanted to allow mankind to have sovereign over the world with the Gods supervising from above. Izanami and Izanagi, the mother and father of all of the gods, were a part of the group who loved mankind and wanted to allow them the chance to grow and develop on their own and see what they could accomplish. However, those that opposed them believed that mankind was a disgusting race, and should be ruled under the iron fist of the Gods so that they wouldn't destroy themselves with their greed and petty squabbles.

Amatsu Mikaboshi, the God of Darkness, the opposite of anything representing light or goodness, was one of these Gods. He hated mankind. He hated their disgusting habits, their weakness. He rebelled against Izanami and Izanagi's commands to leave the humans alone, and instead wreaked chaos and mayhem upon the earth. Many human lives were lost, which angered Izanami and Izanagi, for the humans and demons were their beloved creation. When Amatsu Mikaboshi tried to stage a coup against the couple, they banished him and stripped him of his God status. He was doomed to walk the earth as a demon, forced to live on the souls of the dead humans that he had despised. It was said on that day that he vowed to get revenge against the Gods for what had been done to him, and the humiliation he had to suffer.

Rumors spread throughout the land, that after centuries had passed, Amatsu found a way to gain power back, if only for a short time. The souls he harvested would give him power, and if the souls were powerful enough, he would be able to gain enough of that power to restore him back to his God status, and he would be able to fulfill his promise of vengeance. Then a few hundred years ago, another rumored whispered that he found a way to make the souls more powerful."

"By sucking them out of the humans before they died," Sesshoumaru said grimly.

If Bokusenou could, he would have nodded. "Precisely. He has traveled all over the world, collecting souls for his own power. The fact that he is back in Japan, where all of this originated, could only mean one thing."

"That he is close to gaining back his God status," Sesshoumaru filled in, and fought the urge to curse.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on a second," Kagome broke in. "Are you trying to tell me that our enemy is….a former GOD? _And_ that he's close to becoming a God again so he can wreak havoc on the earth and take on the other Gods for power in, like, the ultimate God level death match?"

"Precisely, child."

Kagome didn't swear all that often, but only one thing came to her mind in that moment. "Well, shit."

"Hn," Sesshoumaru said in agreement.

"And you are, child?"

Kagome flushed, realizing she hadn't even introduced herself. "I'm Kagome. Kagome Higurashi."

"Ah, the High Miko," Bokusenou said softly, and then his eyes seemed to narrow on her. "You are also the one with the cursed visions, are you not?"

Sesshoumaru snapped out of his whirling thoughts about Gods, and their stupid theft of souls on HIS territory, when Bokusenou said, "Do not tell me…Sesshoumaru-sama, what is your connection with this miko?"

Sesshoumaru narrowed his own eyes, displeased at being questioned thusly. "I am her Chosen One," he said tightly.

Bokusenou seemed to heave a great sigh.

"Who would have thought that another demon in the line of the Dog Clan would be a Chosen One?"

"You speak of Yukio," Sesshoumaru stated.

"Indeed. If this is the High Miko, and you are her Chosen One, then you must guard her well, Sesshoumaru-sama. Amatsu was the reason why mikos with the cursed visions were created, and why those mikos have the Chosen Ones as protectors."

"Whoa, what? This bastard is the reason why I have the visions that I do?" Kagome asked. "How did that come about?"

"You don't think that the Gods would just allow Amatsu to keep collecting powerful souls while they stood idly by, did you? Izanami and Izanagi created a countermeasure against his evil. The mikos with the cursed visions. Only they would be able to see and feel the true evil that Amatsu is capable of."

"Lucky us," Kagome muttered.

His sharp gaze turned to Sesshoumaru again, his voice lowering. "Your miko is the only one who can find him. And together, you are the only ones who can stop him. If you do not…eventually he will regain enough power to retain his God status and then…"

"Then what?" Kagome asked.

"He will take on Gods and demons alike to become the ruler of this world. Mankind wouldn't stand a chance."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"Well, that was pleasant," Kagome said sarcastically. "We go to find information on a suspect, and we find out that we're going to take on a freaking GOD. I don't know about you, but that's one I've never come across before."

She looked at him and found that his facial expression hadn't changed. Bland boredom, as if he didn't just find out that mankind was just a stone's throw away from having a fallen God gain enough power to create the next apocalypse. He looked more like he was trying to imagine what he would wear tomorrow. Surprisingly, it was comforting to her. It helped calm her down from the mini-breakdown she was about to go through after finding out that they were the only ones who might be able to stand a chance and stop Amatsu. The sun had set during their conversation with Bokusenou, and they were making the trek back to Sesshoumaru's car before heading back to the city. Instead of the pleasant coolness from before, she now felt chilled to the bone.

"Hey," she said, more quietly this time. "Don't you feel like we're in a bit over our heads on this one?"

Sesshoumaru understood what she was trying to ask. She was a powerful miko (he had yet to even see the full extent of her powers) and he was TaiYoukai of the West, but dealing with an ex-God was a bit out of his realm of experience.

"He will be a powerful enemy," he said, albeit grudgingly. "We still don't know his full capability, whether or not he retained any of his divine power, or even how close he is to regaining back his original power. The only leads we have are your visions and the information Bokusenou gave us. We don't even know if the killer we are tracking is really Amatsu in the first place. We are relying purely on speculation and rumors." She could hear the sneer in his voice and knew the opinion he had of trusting in mere rumors.

"But what if it is him?" she persisted, as they arrived to the place where they had left his car. He unlocked the door for her and went around to his own side. "What if we can't catch him? What if he becomes too powerful for us and we can't defeat him?"

His eyes locked on hers from across the roof of the car, and she saw something in them flash. She couldn't really keep hidden from him her feelings of anxiety and the hint of fear that was coursing through her. Would they really be able to fight a God and win? What if something happened to him? As much as she was unsure about their relationship, it didn't change the fact that her heart clenched painfully at the thought of being without him. An indefinable moment passed as he processed all of her fears and then snorted slightly.

"That was a stupid question," was all he said, before he opened his own door and got in the car.

She blinked.

That pretty much summed up his opinion of her worries. Instead of being offended, she smiled slightly. If he had the confidence in them, well, so could she. There was more time to worry later, when they actually knew more about the situation.

Still… "Your comforting abilities could use some work," she said without heat as she sat down and buckled her seatbelt. She smiled inwardly as a small smirk graced his perfect lips, and they began to drive.

An hour passed in silence as they were both lost in their own thoughts during the drive. Kagome noted to herself that she would need to contact Kaede to see if the wise old miko knew anything about the enemy they might encounter. It also might be good to look at the victimology one more time. All of the murders seemed to be committed against random people, but now, with the knowledge they had, it would be prudent to see if they could find a connection. Obviously, Amatsu would be trying to hunt those with powerful souls, namely holy men and women. Such as the young miko from earlier. She held back a shudder as she recalled the words from her vision.

_Miko souls always last longer than the others…since hers is such a powerful soul, I wouldn't want to waste it…_

If Kagome put two and two together, it was obvious to see that she was a potential victim as well. The medical examiner soul demon had hinted at it, and even Bokusenou commented on it. She was the only one who could watch as the murders were being committed. The only one who could see, and ultimately find Amatsu. If he ever found out she existed….she had a feeling her visions would pale in comparison.

She was drawn out of her dark thoughts when Sesshoumaru pulled into the parking lot of a large hotel. She blinked.

"When did you get off of the highway? And what are we doing here? We can easily make it back to the city by late tonight. There's no need for us to spend the night."

"An unexpected meeting came up for information. Since we're already here, we may as well utilize our time wisely. Get a good night's rest so we can debrief everyone tomorrow."

She glanced at him suspiciously. Unexpected meeting? "Why didn't you mention this earlier?"

"I didn't want to give you time to think about it," he replied bluntly, and she flushed. They stared at each other hard for a moment. Then Sesshoumaru abruptly got out of the car and began walking towards the entrance, leaving her with the odd urge to sputter in his wake. Instead she muttered, "Fine," and got out of the car. It's not like she wasn't prepared for an overnight stay anyway. She remembered their short conversation before they had left for the countryside, but immediately tried to block it out of her mind. Nothing was going to happen between them until she was damn good and ready for it to happen, and that was final.

In a short, orderly amount of time, they were house in a very nice suite, complete with a separate sitting area from the bedroom. Dropping her bag on the ground, she eyed the luxurious room. "Don't you think this is extravagant for a one night stay?" she asked. "We could have just stopped at a cheap motel on the side of the highway."

He just stared at her.

She let out a breath, amused despite herself. "Right. Forgot who I was talking to for a moment."

"Hn." It was amazing how much he could convey with that one noise.

"Well, I'm going to take a shower and go to bed. It's been a long day," Kagome said over her shoulder as she headed towards the bathroom that was located in the bedroom. "Are you going to call and check in with Inuyasha?"

"I suppose I should," he replied, loosening and removing his tie. As he heard the water turn on, and visions of water running down smooth skin filled his mind, he grabbed his cell phone and walked out onto the small balcony that the room offered. Closing the glass door behind him, he quickly dialed Inuyasha's number and waited for the hanyou to answer.

"Did Bokusenou have information for you?" Inuyasha asked eagerly. At Sesshoumaru's short grunt of affirmation he crowed, "Ha! Told you he'd have information for you. So, who're we dealing with?"

"Someone…unexpected."

"Unexpected? What, do we know the fucker? Or wait, I know! He's not really a demon at all, but some kind of sorcerer, right? Right? That's why we couldn't find record of him as a demon. Am I right?"

"A sorcerer?" Sesshoumaru asked, and Inuyasha could practically see a condescending raised eyebrow.

"What, it could happen," he defended.

Silence.

"Well, it could," he mumbled. "All right, so, if he's not a badass sorcerer, who is he?"

"A God."

There was silence for a full thirty seconds. Then, "Well…shit."

"Indeed," Sesshoumaru said. "I believe that was Kagome's reaction as well."

"What the hell, Sesshoumaru! Are you serious? A fucking God is the one murdering these people?"

"I think it's blasphemous to use the word 'fucking' and 'God' in the same sentence," Sesshoumaru said dryly, amused.

"Shut up, bastard, now is not the time for you to try and test your warped sense of humor. This is serious!"

Inuyasha could sense the change from scornful amusement to frigidness in one second. "Okay, okay," he said quickly. "So you already know that. The question is, what are we going to do about it? What God are we talking about here?"

"Amatsu."

Inuyasha almost choked. "The fucking God of EVIL? Are you SERIOUS?"

"I believed you already asked that. And he was the previous God of evil, if you want to label him like that. He was striped of his divine powers by the other Gods and banished to live on earth."

"So, what, he's pissed at the Gods so he's going to kill people here on Earth?"

"In a way. He's using the souls to gain more power so he can attain his powers back and take his revenge."

Another moment of silence.

"Man, we are so screwed," Inuyasha finally said. "I mean, if this was a normal demon, sure, no problem. You could kick his ass in less than two minutes, easy. But a GOD, Sesshoumaru? Where do I even begin?"

"You begin by doing research, moron. Recruit the monk and Sango to help you. Find out everything you can on Amatsu and have it ready by tomorrow morning. Kagome and I have one more thing to finish here, and then we'll be heading back. We'll want to create a plan to deal with this problem as soon as possible."

"Problem, he says," Inuyasha muttered under his breath. "That's like calling freakin' Hiroshima a minor setback in Japan's history. Asshole."

"Tomorrow, Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru said in a hard voice.

"Got it, got it," he sighed. "Tomorrow." He heard the click of the phone hanging up, and then the dial tone. He blew out another breath. Bastard.

Sesshoumaru stepped back into the room and quietly walked to the bedroom. He softly opened the door and saw Kagome already in bed, sound asleep. He drank in her features for a moment, reflecting on the day. They still had many issues to work out. Her problem of trust and acceptance in their relationship, and now the added headache of this Amatsu bastard. Things were going to get pretty interesting around them, that was for sure. But he was not that worried. He had finally found the woman he was going to mate. No power in heaven, hell, or even ex-Gods on Earth were going to take her from him. Of that, he was absolutely certain.

Quietly, he undressed and changed into his sleeping pants, more for his sanity's sake than anything, before slipping in beside her. She automatically turned towards his warmth, and he gently grabbed her to him, holding her in place by his side, breathing in her light scent, allowing it to relax him. It was going to be a rough morning tomorrow for her, and they both needed to sleep after the kind of day they had had. He knew that he would relish the moments of passion that they would have (and oh, the things he could teach her), but it was also this quiet intimacy that he enjoyed.

The cadence of her breathing was slow and steady, and he matched it, allowing the sound to sooth him into slumber.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Kagome once more awoke before Sesshoumaru, feeling him spooned up behind her, his chest rising and falling against her back with his deep breaths. She allowed herself a few more moments to enjoy the quiet comfort of having someone hold her. Hardly anyone outside of her family touched her. Part of the reason was out of respect because of her status as a High Miko, but she knew the majority of it was because many feared that if they touched her, they would be cursed like her. So moments like these were few and far in between. Hell, to be perfectly honest, they were practically non-existent, so she was going to enjoy it while she could.

However, the morning was wasting away, and it was time to get up. She moved slightly, preparing to rise, when his arm tightened around her, pulling her back. She heaved a slight sigh of exasperation, even as a slight flush covered her face. Really, she wasn't a teddy bear. He moved his arm again, and she almost let out an "eep!" as she realized that her shirt had ridden up slightly during the night, bunched right under her breasts, and arm and hand were touching the bare skin on her abdomen. Her breathing began to quicken.

As Sesshoumaru shifted, half awake, his claws trailed against her skin, unknowingly tantalizing. Kagome drew in her breath on a sharp gasp that she hoped he couldn't hear. The hand paused, as if considering, before continuing a bit farther down the middle of her body. Slowly.

Testing her.

She gave a shuddering breath as her brain told her that she needed oxygen to stay alive. Through their bond, Kagome could feel that Sesshoumaru was fully awake now.

Alert.

Those deliciously teasing, sharp claws came to the waistline of her sleeping pants, and she stopped breathing. Waiting.

Then she felt him let out a short breath that puffed her hair, and he shifted away, taking his claws with him. She began to breath semi-normally again as he sat up against her back, facing away from her. She had to fight between two dominating emotions: frustration that he didn't continue, and relief that he did not. Her conflicting feelings caused her to squeeze her eyes shut tighter.

His voice came from behind her, startling her, just a bit darker than she was used to. "Not now, because I don't think either of us is ready for it, but soon, Kagome, I will take you. You will give me everything that you have to give, and you will give it gladly. Your body will ache for me, and your voice will cry out for me as I move inside of you, and on that day…you will belong fully to me. Nothing can stop that now."

Less than a moment later, she jackknifed into a sitting position only to see the tips of his hair as the door closed gently behind him. Staring at the painted wood, breathing heavily, she couldn't decide whether to be angry at his arrogance, or afraid of his certainty. And underneath all of that, the seed of anticipation had been planted. What would it be like to belong to a demon like him?

Pushing the hair out of her eyes, she let her body calm down and a new purpose filled her. She would only belong to him if he belonged equally to her. The thought of owning the TaiYoukai flashed heat throughout her body again, and she let out a small groan.

She wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

She talked to him as little as she could that morning, only because she honestly didn't know what to say. They checked out of the hotel with little fuss and drove a short drive through the small town they were in until they reached a non-descript stone building. She saw block letters on the side of the building. MORGUE.

"Sesshoumaru?" she began to speak, but he was already exiting the car. She followed behind him slowly, wondering what they could possibly be doing there. Did he have another case he needed to check up on? Didn't they have more pressing matters to attend to right now?

She watched him as he said a few quiet words to one of the workers there, and as the man walked away, Sesshoumaru walked to her and placed a hand on her lower back, urging her to walk.

"Why are we here?" she asked quietly as they followed a short distance behind the worker.

"The miko from your vision," he said simply, and turned to watch her with careful eyes as she stopped abruptly in the hallway.

"She was from here?" Kagome asked, unknowingly letting urgency coat her voice. "She was murdered here?"

"Not far from here," he said. His voice was low and calm. "She was found in an isolated field on the outskirts of this city. I put in a few calls yesterday, asking for the police stations to keep their eyes open for her. A farmer found her yesterday."

She stared at him a moment. "Why did you bring me here?" she finally asked.

He stared at her for a few moments before looking away. "Because you needed to see her. You need to know what happened to her, how she died, before you drive yourself crazy with guessing about it."

"I've seen deaths before," she said a bit sharply, hugging her arms close to her body for comfort, a gesture he didn't fail to notice. "Hers was just one in a long line."

"It's different," he said, and her eyes focused on the biting tone in his voice. "It's different," he said again, in a quieter voice as his eyes softened minutely at her. "Because she was like you. You felt her more."

Kagome felt tears prick the back of her eyes, but refused to let them fall, focusing on the sting of them instead as she allowed Sesshoumaru to continue to lead her to a room down the hallway. He nodded to the worker to leave as he opened the door for Kagome to enter, closing it softly behind her.

The room was dim, and very, very cold. The smell of formaldehyde was pungent and choking. There was a table slab in the center of the room with an overhead light illuminating the body that lay still and quiet on top. Kagome hesitated by the doorway for a brief moment, a thousand thoughts and emotions running through her at the same time. Fear, anger, sorrow. It threatened to overwhelm her, but she took a deep breath instead and lifted her chin. She took that first step forward and walked to the young girl on the table, staring down on her in complete, painful silence.

Sesshoumaru stood as a silent sentinel by the door, watching her with his careful, golden eyes.

She looked so childlike. The poor girl was younger than her, yet she lay on a cold slab of metal, lifeless. Unfeeling. Soulless. Her body was broken and torn in too many places to count. Mangled innocence. The injustice of it all caused Kagome's hands to clench at her side.

She wanted to cry for the girl, but tears would not help. She had cried so much in her lifetime that she had to learn the hard way that tears did nothing. They were useless. She was useless. Why in the hell did the Gods curse her to have these visions if she couldn't even help the young miko who still had so much of her life to live? A child like her probably spent her days in the temple, praying silently for her family and friends to be healthy and happy, never knowing that unimaginable violence preyed upon young girls like her. Preyed upon, and thrived on their suffering.

Kagome wanted to apologize to her. To say 'I'm sorry' over and over and over until it somehow transcended the world and reached the lifeless corpse lying before her. But apologizing was like crying. Useless.

The girl didn't even reach heaven, as someone like her ought to have. Amatsu would have taken her soul, forcibly raped her spirit to take it, and leave the broken body behind. Without a soul, there was nowhere for the spirit to go. The spirit is the soul, the soul is the spirit. Instead, this girl's life essence was being used to bring power to the very monster that had a part in killing her.

She knew apologizing would do nothing. But knowing that didn't make it hurt less.

Instead, she gently touched a strand of hair on the girl's cheek, and tenderly tucked in behind her ear.

"I swear to you," she said quietly, so quietly that her voice barely reached Sesshoumaru's vigilant ears. "I swear on everything that I am, everything that I stand for, that I will catch the bastard that did this to you. And I will make him suffer and regret the fact that he was ever born. I don't care if he was a God or not. Understand?"

Silence. But then again, that was to be expected. There was nothing else left to be said anyway.

She took one long last look at the torn body of the young girl, burning it into her memory so she wouldn't ever forget what she was fighting for, and silently walked away, passing Sesshoumaru and feeling him fall into step behind her. A solid wall of warmth and support at her back after leaving that cold, barren room where the dead kept watch. His aura, probably frightening to most people, soothed her and offered her solace from the turmoil of her own emotions. She basked in it, taking the silent strength he offered her without any reserve. He had so much strength to give her, and she was becoming dependent on it. Addicted to it. She knew she could easily become addicted to him. He had done so much for her…much more than she ever would have expected from someone like him.

She squinted into the bright sunlight when they stepped outside. Here, the sky was blue, the air was fresh, and everything was bright and alive. Nothing like the stark reality of the room they were just in, and she shivered at the contrast between the warm sunshine and the artificial, air-conditioned room that smelled of chemicals and lost life. A warm, clawed hand touched her elbow, and she obediently let Sesshoumaru lead her to the car and get her settled. Yes…he had given her so much. It was time to return the favor.

"They called me a freak," she said softly, her eyes staring blankly at the passing scenery as they began the drive back to the city. "I had my first vision when I was ten years old…I woke my family up with my screams, but they couldn't help me. Anytime someone tried to help me, they would freeze in place and could only stand and watch as I convulsed and suffered. I couldn't understand why there was so much pain. I was only a little girl, yet I understood firsthand what happens when someone dies, and people feared that. Many people thought I was possessed by some evil spirit, and told their children to stay away from me. The first time I had a vision in public, we were in a shopping mall. When I opened my eyes, adults were staring at me with horror written all over their faces. All of the children were crying because they didn't understand what was going on. They slowly backed away from me as my mother helped me up …as if I were some kind of abomination. I reminded them of something that they never wanted to realize: that humans are pathetically mortal and will die someday. More than that is the fact that not all deaths are the type where a person quietly slips away after a long, fulfilling life. Deaths can be violent. Painful. They could see the pain on my face, and they would tremble at the thought of dying like that. I was everything that they feared, so they rejected me. At the time when other little girls were starting to like boys and make-up, I was being tortured in my visions. School was…unpleasant."

For the first time, she glanced at him, saw the terseness of his jaw and his clenched hands on the steering wheel, but knew he wouldn't say anything. He would let her get this out, everything that she hadn't even told her family or her closest loved ones. But Sesshoumaru…he deserved to hear it. He would be the only one who would hear this from her, the only one she would trust with this gift. Because he was worthy of her secrets. Just as he had deemed her worthy enough of his. And for her, something clicked into place.

This was belonging.

This sharing, this connection, something she had never known with her life; this would only be found with him. It would only ever be him. What did it matter that they had known each other for such a short time? What did it matter that the Gods had created this connection between them? It was there; it was real. It was her, and it was him. It was theirs. And it was beautiful.

He shifted slightly, and she realized that she had been staring at him and it was his subtle way of getting her to continue.

"My mother tried to understand, she really did, and she wanted me to have as normal of a life as I could, so she put me into public school. I was ignored and an outcast, but I didn't really care at the time. I was going through rigorous training to reach the High Miko status, and with that and studies, I didn't have time for anything remotely like friends anyway. Even though my mother wanted me to feel normal, I knew I wasn't, and so did everyone around me. So they just pretended I wasn't there and whispered behind my back when they thought I couldn't hear it. Then, when I was fifteen, I had a daytime vision at school. It's rare to have a daytime vision, because most predators hunt at night, but there are exceptions as you have already seen. I was in the classroom when it happened. Most of my classmates thought I was having a demonic attack and ran away before whatever it is that holds people in place when they get too close to me activated. However, a few people got caught and were forced to stay in place until the vision ended. Unfortunately, one of the people was a very popular girl, and everyone in the school was outraged when they found out that she was forced to witness the…abomination. It traumatized her to say the least. That was when the bullying started."

Sesshoumaru saw her hands clench. "It was little things at first. Jostles and trips in the hallways, mud and stones thrown when my back was turned, notes and crude pictures passed around school. Instead of being isolated, I was being ostracized. No one sat within three seats of me on any side for fear of being caught by one of my visions as well. Paltry things compared to some of the things I had endured in my visions. So I endured, because my mother wanted me to have a "normal" experience. I was hit from behind a few times walking home by myself, but whoever it was had already fled by the time I got up from the ground. I really didn't mind it so much. Yes, it was horrible, but I had been through worse. Things that their ignorant minds couldn't even imagine. Things I would never even want them to imagine. But then, one day, my little brother walked home with me."

She took in a shuddering breath, and was grateful that Sesshoumaru stayed silent despite the waves of angry helplessness that came from him. Instead, she drew strength from him and the fact that he was indignant for what she had been through, and for what he imagined she was about to tell him.

"Souta was only about eight, still an elementary school student. His school had gotten out early that day, and he wanted to come and pick me up and walk me home. He knew what had been happening to me, and he didn't want his big sister to get hurt anymore. He wanted to walk with me to protect me and make sure nothing else happened. Only a little boy, and he was already growing up too fast because of my circumstances. Some of my worst offenders at school, mostly the guys who were friends with the girl in my class, decided to follow me home that day and insult me on the way. It was nothing new, and I was used to it, but it was the first time Souta had seen it, and he tried to stand up for me. He smart-mouthed them, and one of the older boys grabbed him. I didn't care what they did to me, but I wouldn't let them hurt Souta, so I started to try and grab Souta back, but I was hit from behind, harder than I ever had before. It knocked me out."

She had to take another breath before she continued. "When I came to, I saw Souta lying on the ground." Her voice trembled a bit and she had to steady it before she could speak again. "He was unconscious, and there was blood on his face. They had thrown rocks at him, and one of them had hit him in the eye. His body was bruised in places, and his wrist was broken, but the worst thing was that I could see patches of saliva on his face where they spit on him before they ran away. They had spit on me too, but I didn't notice until I had wiped my face at the hospital.. They treated his wounds, and mine, while our mother and grandfather waited for us in the waiting room. Souta had a lot of superficial wounds, besides his wrist, but his eye was the worst. The doctors couldn't save his vision and he's blind in that eye to this day. To add insult to injury, when we arrived home from the hospital, our house had been vandalized. 'Monster', 'freak', and other words like it were painted on the outside of our shrine for the world to see."

She glanced at him again. "After that, we were both home schooled. It was just easier for everyone. We painted over the vandalism and kept to ourselves. I reached High Miko status in the next year and began hunting the causes for my visions. I never wanted to have anything like what happened to Souta happen again. In many ways, he was my inspiration for trying so hard. He's the reason I became so powerful as a miko; so I could protect him and myself. I was never going to be that weak again. So now, here I am." She smiled a sad little smile.

Sesshoumaru slowly drove the car off of the highway and put in it in park. He turned to face her while she looked on in confusion. Carefully, so as not to startle her, he reached for her. Slowly, tenderly, he cupped her face in his large hands and brought her lips to his. The heat from his body and his lips warmed her chilled body, inside and out. He was so gentle, moving his lips over hers in a glide that was more sensual and comforting than fiery and passionate. It was an leisurely kiss, as if he had all of the time in the world to do it, and would be content to just stay there with his lips moving against hers, bringing a blushing heat to match the lazily glowing embers between them. It brought tears to her eyes, and they trembled on her eyelashes as he drew back from her reluctantly and unhurriedly.

"Yes," he said. "Here you are." And smiled.

She smiled brilliantly back as the tears fell.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&


	8. The God of Evil

(A/N: I hope everyone has had wonderful holidays! I hope you enjoy this next chapter.)

Beta: UNBETA'D at the moment, so please forgive any mistakes. I'm still waiting to hear back from my beta on this, and I got impatient. Sorry, Wiccan. But as soon as she finds time (no rush) to look this one over for me, I will repost the beta'd version.

Visions

Chapter Eight

The God of Evil

"Why do you always manage to make the worst enemies?" Miroku greeted her with a hug as they stepped into headquarters later that day. She could feel Sesshoumaru boring holes into the back of her head as Miroku didn't draw back fast enough, and apparently the monk felt the sense of danger. Miroku met Sesshoumaru's icy glance over Kagome's shoulder, and hastily let go of Kagome, miko and monk sharing a smile of amusement.

"I have no idea what you are talking about," Kagome said loftily.

"Oh, really?" Miroku replied with a raised eyebrow that only males seemed to really be able to pull off perfectly. Well, males and stuck up bitches. Hmmm, maybe there was a connection. She considered the possibilities before Miroku's voice snapped her out of it. "Need I remind you of your previous cases? Those enough should prove your uncanny ability to get in the worst possible situations."

"That's not really necessary," she said hastily, beginning to walk quickly away. The last thing she needed was to dredge up old cases in front of Sesshoumaru. "Everyone is waiting for us, and we have a God to track down. Let's go."

"Let's see…there was that spider demon in Kyoto that who choked you into unconsciousness when you finally found him, and started to bury you into a cocoon…alive." Miroku continued without hearing her. Or refusing to. He was having way too much fun watching Sesshoumaru's gaze narrow on the miko.

"Miroku," Kagome said warningly.

"Or how about the water demon in Okinawa who drowned women and preserved their bodies as underwater statues? As I recall, he thought you would make a lovely final piece to his collection. Oh, and don't forget that nasty child molesting snake demon that you couldn't find for three months, and when you did, he—"

"Miroku," Kagome said, warning voice gone and replaced with something infinitely worse: sweetness. "Shut up."

She walked up slowly to the monk and flicked him lightly on the forehead…with her miko powers charged into her finger. The monk slammed back against the wall, and fell down, dazed. He tried to focus his wavering gaze as she knelt down beside him and looked at him with a slight, sweet smirk.

"Do I need to remind you what happened to all of those demons?"

"You hunted them down and purified the hell out of them?" he said, wincing slightly. His voice had made it into a question, but he knew for a fact that that's what she had done to all of those demons. She had found them, and made them pay for everything they had done to her and the people she had to be during her visions.

"Exactly," she almost purred. "So I see no reason to bring them up now when they are nothing but ashes. Right?"

"Right," he said, giving her sheepish smile.

She smiled tightly. "Good," she said, and gave him a small, friendly smack on the cheek. "Get up and let's go."

She walked away first, leaving the two males in silence.

"What was the purpose of that, monk?" Sesshoumaru asked in a cold, yet bland voice.

"Whatever do you mean, Sesshoumaru-sama?" Miroku said, dragging himself from off the ground and giving his head a little shake to clear it, which wasn't the best idea since it just caused a sharp pain instead.

"I'm sure bringing up her past cases wasn't for _her_ benefit."

"I knew you were a sharp one, Sesshoumaru-sama," the monk said, allowing the demon a small nod of respect and a smile that the TaiYoukai almost snorted at. A flick from his claws would ensure that the monk would go through the wall instead of just crashing against it. He cracked his knuckles thoughtfully.

"Ah, hah, well," Miroku stuttered, realizing that his time of teasing was slowly dying a painful death. "I guess the point was for you to realize that she's been in danger before."

"And how is that beneficial to me?" came the glacial response.

"Kagome is not a piece of fragile china, no matter how much of us would wish she would treat herself like that," Miroku said, all traces of teasing gone from his voice as he met the demon's gaze head on. "She is a powerful miko, and can most assuredly hold her own in a battle."

"The _point_, monk," Sesshoumaru almost growled.

"Your protective instincts are going to be screaming to keep her safe and out of harm's way if we come into the enemy's path, but you need to realize that Kagome is used to fighting her own battles. If you try to stifle her and keep her out of the loop and out of the battle, she is going to resent that part of you. It's like you would be insulting her abilities, and not having the trust in her to believe that she can take care of herself."

"You expect me to just let her run foolhardily into battle?" Sesshoumaru's voice was colder, if that was even possible.

"I expect you not to patronize her and treat her like spun glass. If you doubt her skill, I suggest you spar with her, but don't be surprised if you come away with a few marks of your own. You undermine her worth if you keep her on the sidelines."

Sesshoumaru let a small frown indent his eyebrows, but inside he was scowling ferociously. He wasn't an idiot. He knew that Kagome was powerful; she wouldn't have been able to reach the status of High Miko if she wasn't. What Miroku didn't seem to realize was that he didn't _care_ if Kagome was High Miko or not (even if the fact of having such a strong mate made him proud). She was his.

His to care for. His to protect. Even if she hated him for it.

Kagome reappeared in the hallway. "Are you guys coming? I can feel the testosterone levels from the next room." She shot Sesshoumaru a pointed look that meant, _'meaning that I can feel you going caveman through the connection, so knock it off.'_

"Well, this might have been a pre-mature conversation, anyway," Miroku said placatingly, moving down the hallway. Kagome gave him a confused look that was transferred to Sesshoumaru when he joined her at her side. Her eyes questioned him but he let nothing show on his face as he placed a clawed hand on her lower back to steer her the way she came.

Solemn faces greeted Kagome and Sesshoumaru as they took their seats at the head of the conference table. "I assume Inuyasha has brought you up to speed?" Sesshoumaru began, not really expecting an answer. "What else can you add to the information we have?"

"Unfortunately, not much," Inuyasha said glumly. "Of course there are legends about Amatsu, but not many people would notice they were in the presence of a God, so confirmed sightings of him are slim. He's been below the radar for thousands of years. He's like a fucking ghost."

"The legends that do mention him focus primarily on the time before his disgrace," Miroku picked up, noticing Sesshoumaru's growing irritation at what Inuyasha claimed they did _not_ know. "His power was phenomenal. He was, or is, an expert swordsman. There are also rumors that he was able to influence dreams, planting dark suggestions of murder or war into humans, or twisting the dreams until the humans went mad."

"So we know that he is going after people with powerful souls," Kagome spoke up. "He killed a miko yesterday, and I bet if you do research on his former victims they will show significant amounts of spiritual power, whether they knew it or not."

"We already have," Sango said. "After Sesshoumaru-sama told Inuyasha what Bokusenou said about Amatsu's need to have powerful souls, we tried to find a common thread in the victims. Two men came from families who have history in the monastery, and one of the females came from a line of miko's and showed promise of entering training in high school, but she followed a different path."

"He is harvesting souls to gain power," Kagome mused. "How does this help us catch him? There are thousands of people in this city alone who show signs of spiritual power. Hell, even in this room, Miroku and I are targets."

"Kagome more so than I," Miroku added, casting a glace at Sesshoumaru, whose jaw had clenched. "I come from a family of powerful monks, but Kagome is a High Miko. My powers significantly pale in comparison to hers."

"My soul is different," Kagome said, turning everyone's attention to her. "The Medical Examiner yesterday warned me to watch my back. Bokusenou also said it would be likely Amatsu would target me to gain enough power to take his revenge."

"That could just be a supposition," Sesshoumaru countered. "As long as Amatsu knows nothing of you, you will be safe."

"Whether I'm safe or not isn't the point," Kagome said in exasperation. "In fact, it would be better if I were a target. That way, we'd find him faster."

"Don't get any ideas, Miko," Sesshoumaru growled lowly, reverting back to impersonal titles because just the thought of her trying to gain Amatsu's attention sent chills down his spine. He did not wait centuries for this woman only for her to target the wrath of a God and get her fool self killed. There was a flare in their connection as both of their emotions fought against one another, both conveying an admirable amount of stubbornness.

Kagome's lips tightened in annoyance, but now was not the time to argue with him. "Listen, even though we know what he is after, it doesn't really help us gain a starting point for where to look for him. As Inuyasha said, he's like a ghost. We can't just send out a warning to all those who might possibly have spiritual powers in the area. For one, it would cause mass hysteria which is the last thing we need right now with a soul sucker feeding on violent emotions. Secondly, it would let Amatsu know we're on to him and possibly cause him to leave the area. He might be traveling now, but I have a feeling he's not finished here."

"What it all comes down to is that we have jack shit on the guy. Or God. Whatever he is," Inuyasha said in frustration, ears on top of his head swiveling with restlessness. "All we can hope now is that Kagome has a vision where the victim sees his face."

"It's bound to happen sooner or later," Kagome said. "I've only been having the visions on him for a short time, and he can't keep to the shadows all the time. It's a waiting game now."

"Does that mean we get to go home?" Shippo asked hopefully. "We're not exactly getting much done here except for getting on each other's nerves."

Sesshoumaru considered. "I don't see a problem with it," he finally decided. It really didn't seem to do them much good staying together. If he were completely honest with himself, the only reason he suggested it in the first place was so that Kagome would be closer to him. "Miroku, you will stay with Inuyasha for the duration of your stay."

"What about you?" Inuyasha asked. "You can't really go back to that palace of yours on the outskirts of town. You would be too far away from the commotion, and I'm assuming you aren't going to just leave Kagome here."

Sesshoumaru would have liked nothing better that to take Kagome to his home, away from the center of the city and danger. But he could already predict her opinion on the matter and it wasn't accommodating to his urges. "Kagome and I will stay here. We'll call if anything happens."

There was a general murmur of assent from almost everyone, even if Miroku didn't look exactly thrilled of the prospect of staying with Inuyasha. Kagome was amazed at how easily everyone accepted Sesshoumaru's word as law. His status of Taiyoukai held considerable weight, even in the human realm. Surreptitiously, she studied him as he continued giving instructions to his team. He was born to lead. It was easy to spot in his calm face, ruthless and firm with the possibility of cruelty to those who crossed him. He exuded power like a second skin, as if the beast within him had too much to keep contained. From her lessons she remembered that the higher ranked the youkai, the more savage the beast. That Sesshoumaru could keep his under a tight rein without becoming the worse for wear of it was an incredible feat.

Then the fact that she would be staying at the penthouse headquarters, with him, alone, permeated her head and her heartbeat picked up. She caught his fleeting glance, but looked quickly away and willed her body under control. Kaede had said that they would need to be joined soon, that it would make them stronger. She would be lying if she said a part of her didn't look forward to that, to connecting with him in a physical way. He was like sex personified. But there would be no going back after that. She would give him her whole self in that moment, and that is what frightened her. Control was an important thing to her, having so little of it when it came to her visions. To give up that part of herself would be a monumental feat. He wanted her. She knew that without a doubt by the hot glances he sent her and the surges of arousal through the connection that always left her flushed and wanting. But a part of her always held back, not wanting to become more vulnerable than she already was.

But she had a feeling Sesshoumaru wouldn't let her hold back forever. For one, his demonic instincts wouldn't stand it. For all intents and purposes, they were almost like mates. The relationships of Inuyoukai mates were unique, even in the demon world. She had heard stories and tales during her miko training of the fierce protectiveness and possessiveness that Inuyoukai males were capable of. Cold and distant to the rest of the world, with their mates they could let down their guard. It was a place of honor and humility to be the mate of such a demon. Even though she didn't know everything about Sesshoumaru's world, she had no illusions that he would allow emotional distance between them. For now, he gave her space and time, but she knew it was just a consideration on his part. As he said in the hotel room, he would take her soon. And claim her. A shiver passed through her, and her nipples tightened involuntarily as her lower muscles clenched.

Again, Sesshoumaru glanced sharply her way, his jaw clenched as he broke off almost mid-sentence while talking to Kouga. His penetrating golden eyes became slightly hooded as she helplessly kept eye contact with him and a throbbing began in her body. She had to get out of there.

With difficulty, she wrenched her eyes away from his intense stare and focused on Sango. "Sango, could I see the information on Amatsu? I think it would be beneficial to me to learn all I can about him."

"Sure, Kagome," Sango replied, searching through her stack of papers until she found the one that she wanted. "This is just a preliminary report, but it's all we have of him."

"Thanks," Kagome said gratefully, taking the papers from the slayer's hands. "I'm going to find an empty room and zone out for a while with these. Find me if you need me."

"Will do."

Kagome wandered down one of the hallways, wanting to find a quiet place to sit down and regroup. The penthouse/headquarters were quite large, allowing for several sleeping areas in one wing, and several conference rooms in another, in addition to a small living room type area and a kitchen. She picked one of the farthest conference rooms, only feeling a faint twinge of separation from Sesshoumaru through their bond, and claimed it as her own to get some work done.

The first thing she did was spread all of the information they had gained about Amatsu onto the table so she could look at it collectively. Sadly, there wasn't much there. Most of what they did have centered on legends and folklore. Her gaze rested on an old painting that one of the team had found, studying it with a critical eye. "The God of Evil," she murmured out loud, letting the title roll around in her head. The man drawn on the page had a sense of chaos and frenzy surrounding him, causing his bright red hair to fly up around his stationary form as if electrified. Almost as long as Sesshoumaru's the crimson locks looked like blood streaks on the page, and the image made her uncomfortable. His skin was pale, almost ethereal, much as one should imagine a God's to be, but the artist had not drawn his eyes. Instead, there were two pits of fire streaking out of the face of the God, lending him a violence that Kagome assumed gave him justice. In his hand there was a wicked looking, curved sword that seemed to glow with an evil aura, and the features of the demon were captured as unrestrained viciousness. A gleeful feral quality showed in his mouth, which featured two exaggerated fangs bared in challenge. Kagome looked away from the disturbing image and focused on the information.

Hours later, she felt no closer to any answers than she had when she started. Amatsu remained just as much of a legend to her as before except for the fact that, in some inexplicable way, she _knew _him. She had felt the sense of evil, of wrongness emanating from him as either he or his henchmen killed their victims, and underlying it all was this growing sense of dread at the power he was consuming. Bokusenou had said that he might be close to gaining his powers back. Could they even find him before that happened? Even more important, could they stop him?

The young dead miko's face flashed before her eyes and she dropped her head down. They needed to stop him. There was no question in her mind. She would give everything in her to stop him, to stop more cold bodies from lying on the morgue's table. Even if it meant she became a target too.

Wryly, she thought that Sesshoumaru wouldn't be too happy with her if she offered herself as bait. Their little tiff in the conference room was proof of that, and she could tell that he would dig in his heels, bond or no bond. Tough. She was just as stubborn. If setting herself up as the next victim would get them closer to Amatsu, she was willing to do it. She could deal with an angry Taiyoukai later.

Speaking of Taiyoukai's, she hadn't seen hers in a while and it was starting to make her antsy. It would still take some getting used to, these feelings for Sesshoumaru. She went from only vaguely knowing about his existence to practically mating the demon in the span of one week. Her human sensibilities were having a hard time keeping up. He had told her that there was a difference in their species, and that he had no such qualms at the speed their relationship was going. If he had his way, she'd be sure she would have been technically mated to him the night he accepted the bond. It was only for her that he was reigning himself in.

For that, she could only be grateful. After dealing with so many extreme emotions in her vision, it was hard to accept that the extreme emotions were now hers. She felt attraction for once in her life. And not just any simple attraction. Soul-shattering, intense, _hot_ attraction for him. She wanted to know what it would be like to kiss him again. To have those claws on her, and his fangs scraping over her sensitive skin. It was a side of herself that she hadn't known existed, and it frightened her. But despite all of that, she still wanted to be close to him. She yearned for him. Could she really let go of her reservations?

Until Sesshoumaru, her views on sex were dismal at best. She had told him once before when describing her visions that there were many ways a woman could be hurt by a man. She had been violated before in her visions, and the thought of letting Sesshoumaru enter her in the same way those bastards had forced their way into their victims frankly made her sick. Instinctively, she knew it would be different with Sesshoumaru. He had already shown her the possibility of how it could be between them between his touches and his kiss. But always, the image of a sweaty, heaving demon thrusting his dick into her while she screamed for mercy remained in the back of her mind. It wasn't fair to Sesshoumaru to bring that baggage along with her.

Groaning softly, she laid her head on the cool table. In the end, she didn't know if she would be able to resist. And there was a strong part of her that didn't want to, despite her bad experiences in the past. Those were the victims, not her. She was still physically untouched. Would Sesshoumaru be able to erase those images? Could he give her only pleasure instead?

That all depended on her and if she was going to continue to shy away from him. Did she have the courage to put her past behind her and start fresh? Maybe, just maybe.

Taking a deep breath, she lifted her head and gathered her papers to her. She needed to put all of these questions aside for now and focus on the important thing: finding Amatsu and stopping him. Venturing out into the hall, she noticed the darkness and noted the late hour it had become. Everything was quiet in the business area of the suite, so she decided to go into the living space to see if she could find life.

Kagome wandered into the small living room area, finding only Sesshoumaru sitting on one of the chairs, reading through a sheaf of papers with more at his side. "Where is everyone?" she asked, hesitating in the doorway.

"They have all left," he replied, taking his eyes off of the paper for a brief moment to look at her. "Most of them were anxious to sleep in their own houses tonight. We will reconvene tomorrow morning after everyone is refreshed."

"Oh," she said, drinking in his features. She hadn't seen him for several hours and just seeing his face again calmed something within her. A longing began in her; she didn't try to ignore it or block it out this time and just followed her heart. All thoughts about Amatsu left her mind. Maybe it was time to start answering some of those questions she had put aside.

She could feel through their bond the slight shock Sesshoumaru felt when she plopped down on the floor between his slightly spread legs, her back facing him, as she nonchalantly gathered some of the papers she hadn't gotten around to and began reading in deliberate silence. It was the first time she had ever initially gone to him first of her own free will, and the shock she felt through him slowly diminished into what she could only guess was contentment.

"What are you working on?" she asked, keeping her voice deliberately light even as she felt the heat of his legs on either side of her, warming her inside and out.

Sesshoumaru gazed down at the dark head between his thighs, though lamentably not in any sexual sense, and felt at peace for the second time that day, the first being when he woke up with her in his arms. The fact that she had come to him this time did not escape his notice. In fact, he relished in it, and hoped that it indicated that she was becoming more comfortable with him and their bond. "I am reviewing prominent families in the city who have shown and affinity for spiritual powers. Perhaps we can be a step ahead of Amatsu if we have an idea of who he is going after." And then, because he really couldn't help himself, he placed his hand lightly on her head, long tapered fingers stroking through her hair. Instead of shying away like he half expected her to, she leaned into his caress, and a fierce triumphant feeling rose in him.

"Hmmmm," she murmured, lulled by those magic fingers slowly running through her hair, sending tingle throughout her scalp and down her spine. It was an intimate moment, despite the simplicity of it, and she felt the same contentment from him spread throughout her body. "I think it's a good idea, but I kind of gained the impression today that most of his attacks are random acts of opportunity. He either sends his lackey out to find him a body, or finds one himself. It doesn't seem to me like his sidekick is especially gifted in the intelligence department and wouldn't really know what to bring him. It seems as if they are just wandering around and taking whatever soul feels good at the time. His only objective is to gain power, no matter how long it takes."

He thought about it for a moment, and then silently agreed with her. There didn't seem to be any deliberate stalking of prey on the God's behalf…that was usually reserved for the predatory demon species, such as his own. It would be harder to catch him if he were just randomly choosing prey at his convenience, but Sesshoumaru felt like he needed to be doing something, damn it. The fact that they were only waiting for Kagome to have another vision was chafing at him. He didn't want her anywhere near this bastard, even if it was only in a vision. He was brought out of his darkening thoughts as Kagome shifted slightly on the floor, and her head brushed against the inside of his upper thigh, sending a bolt of heat through him, and he hissed quietly under his breath as his body was brought to taut attention. The fingers in her hair tightened involuntarily, tensing as a wave of pure arousal ran through him.

He sensed her pausing, as if holding her breath, and unconsciously, he held his own, waiting to see what she would do. Visions of her turning that dark head around and burying it in his lap ran rampant through his head, and his cock hardened to full mast so fast it hurt.

Then, deliberately, slowly, Kagome leaned her head back and shifted again. This action caused her to rub against him, against the full hardness that throbbed for her, and the breath he exhaled seemed to echo in the quiet room. Tension, sexually charged, filled the air around him, and he greedily inhaled the slight scent of arousal she was emitting as she squirmed slightly on the floor, moving the back of her skull softly against his hardness. His claws became embedded in the soft arms of the chair as he fought to control his limbs from grabbing her and fucking her senseless. They had been dancing around each other for a few days and it was wearing on his control. He wouldn't do anything until she was ready, but dear _God_ he hoped it was soon. Another twitch of her head sent an answering one to the head of his cock and he shuddered.

Kagome herself was not faring any better. She didn't consciously want to start something like this. All she had wanted in the beginning was to be close to him, but after she accidentally brushed against him and heard his breath rush out, she couldn't seem to help herself. It felt so deliciously _naughty_ to rub against him with the back of her head, to feel the light twitches of his manhood brush her hair and to feel his hunger for her through the bond. A heady sense of feminine power filled her head as she brushed against him one more time and slowly turned her head to look at him.

He was unmoving in the chair, every muscle tensed and coiled as if about to strike and capture her, and his eyes had turned red. They stared at her, unblinking, like a panther about to leap and devour its prey. She felt a gush of wetness between her thighs and her panties became soaked, even as her mind screamed for her to back away. She had gone farther than she had meant to, and prodded his beast. She saw his chest rise and fall on a slow, inhaling breath, and his eyes drifted down sleepily to the secret place between her legs, and instinctively, she got shakily to her feet, wanting to flee the hunger in his gaze only because it made her feel more than she ever thought she could feel.

"I-I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru," she stuttered out softly, and his eyes snapped back to her face. "I didn't m-mean to go so far."

She watched in breathless anticipation as his eyes narrowed at her and his breathing began to become slow and measured. His knuckles were white, she saw, clenching the arm rest, causing the poor upholstery to be ripped and shredded under the wrath of his claws as he calmed himself down. After a moment that lasted for an eternity, he rasped darkly at her, "Go."

Turning, she practically bolted out of the room, but paused at the doorway. No matter how far she had taken things and how much her own desire of him scared her, she didn't think she could sleep without him. Not when the nightmares were too close. "Um…will you be join--"

His eyes, which were slowly fading back to gold, flared red once more. "Go!" he barked, and she started. With an effort, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes, trying to calm himself. God, didn't she _know_ how close he was to losing his control already? How every muscle in his body was tensed in preparation for grabbing her and throwing her to the nearest floor and mounting her like his beast was prodding him to do. Hell, the nearest wall would do. He could imagine the sound of her back thudding against it rhythmically as he pushed himself into her over and over and over…He needed to breathe again. Slowly, he allowed oxygen to fill his lungs and he exhaled, still feeling the pain of unfulfilled lust, but also scenting her fear in the air. That alone was enough to gain back his control. When he opened them again, they were back to gold and his voice was gentler. "Go, Kagome. I will join you later."

Biting her lip uncertainly, she nodded, and finally, _finally_, left the room. Every muscle in Sesshoumaru's body, which had been rigid throughout the whole encounter, finally loosened until he slumped back into the ruined chair. _Great Kami above_, he thought with an almost desperate wryness, _she is going to _kill _me._

* * *

(A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you did, please leave a review. I'm not a review whore or anything like that, but I do like to hear if people like this story so I feel motivated to write. If you enjoyed it, leave a note! I appreciate each and every one.

Mujitsu)


End file.
